Over the next few days, we will give thought to how we can best celebrate his life and his amazing contribution to the Academy and our wider community. Provided below is the press release from the Reed Foundation and Sir Alec's family:
London, December 2025 – The Reed Group announces with sadness that its founder Sir Alec Reed, who built one of the UK's largest and most successful private businesses, has died peacefully at the age of 91.
He opened the first Reed office in 1960 with £75 and saw it grow into a market-leading recruitment business with an annual turnover of over £1billion and nearly 4,500 employees, known as co-members.
Sir Alec also founded Big Give, a match funding charity which has grown to become the biggest fundraiser in the UK, raising £44.7million in one week last Christmas, overtaking better-known initiatives such as Children in Need and Comic Relief.
James Reed, Sir Alec's son and Reed's chairman and CEO, said: 'It is with great sadness that we share the news that our company's founder and my beloved father has died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.
'Sir Alec was an extraordinary man: my boss, colleague, mentor and teacher but, above all, my Dad. His passing leaves a huge void and I will miss him terribly.
'Sir Alec brought energy, ideas, and humour to everything he did. He founded several companies, seven charities and two schools, while remaining devoted to his family.
'From opening the first Reed office in Hounslow in 1960 with £75 to working tirelessly for 65 years, he never stopped innovating. His vision lives on through our company and the charities he founded.
'It seems entirely appropriate that Sir Alec died on Giving Tuesday, and if you would like to support his legacy you can make a contribution to this year's Big Give Christmas Challenge, which runs until December 9th and he hoped would be another record-breaking appeal.'
As well as Big Give, Sir Alec founded the Reed Foundation in 1972. It owns 18 per cent of the Reed Group, ensuring that co-members effectively work one day a week for charity, and has given away over £40 million to various charities.
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