James Reed (left) has stepped down from his position as a director of Reed Specialist Recruitment.

A Reed spokesperson says he “will continue to be involved in Reed Specialist Recruitment” as he remains chairman of Reed Executive, its parent company.

He is also the chair of Reed Online and chair and managing director of both Reed Learning and Reed in Partnership.

Reed is the son of recruitment grandee Sir Alec Reed, who founded the company half a century ago. Earlier in his career, Reed junior had worked as a producer for the BBC.

Reed Specialist Recruitment continues to be led by Richard Post, who joined the company in 1998 and has been chief executive officer since 2007, the spokesperson confirmed.