Reed Elsevier

{{#badges:AEX}} Reed Elsevier is a major specialist publisher for professional users in four target areas of science & medical, legal, education and business publications and services.

In February 2005, Reed Elsevier reported revenues for 2004 of almost £5bn. "In 2004, we published more than 15,000 different journals, books and reference works, as well as more than 500 online information services and organised more than 430 trade exhibitions," it states on its website.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

Reed Elsevier announced on April 12, 2012, that it had resigned its board seat and dropped its ALEC membership "after considering the broad range of criticism being leveled at ALEC"

A list of ALEC corporations can be found here. A list of corporations which have cut ties with ALEC can be found here.

About ALEC

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.

Reed Elsevier's Role as an Arms Fair Organiser

In September 2005 The Lancet, a leading medical journal, requested that Reed Elsevier, the journal's parent company, divest itself of business interests that "threaten human health." [1]

The magazine's editor made the request after becoming aware Spearhead Exhibitions, a Reed Elsevier subsidiary, organised the Defence Systems and Equipment international (DSEi) arms fair between September 13-16 2005 in London. [2] At the 2003 DSEi exhibition some of the arms merchants displaying their wares sold cluster bombs. While the company promotes its corporate social responsibility credentials, Reed Elsevier Group spokesman, Stephen J. Cowden, was unmoved by The Lancet's appeal. Citing its role as a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, Cowden wrote that "it is our view that the defence industry is necessary for upholding national security for the preservation of democratic values." [3] He did not address the specific concern about cluster bombs.

Political contributions

Reed Elsevier gave $64,000 to federal candidates in the U.S. 2006 election through its political action committee - 28% to Democrats and 72% to Republicans.

Lobbying

The company spent $1,660,000 for lobbying in the U.S. in the first half of 2007. Some lobbying firms used were Venable, Podesta Group, Jefferson Consulting Group, and Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering.

Directors

Chairman and Executive Directors

• Jan Hommen, Chairman
• Patrick Tierney
• Gerard van de Aast
• Sir Crispin Davis
• Mark Armour
• Erik Engstrom
• Andrew Prozes
• Robert Polet

Non-executive Directors

• Lord Sharman of Redlynch
• Rolf Stomberg
• Cees van Lede
• Strauss Zelnick
• Dien de Boer-Kruyt
• Mark Elliott
• David Reid

Contact details

Reed Elsevier Group Offices:

1-3 Strand
London
WC2N 5JR UK
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7930 7077
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7166 5799
Web: http://www.reed-elsevier.com/

Radarweg 29
1043 NX
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 20 485 2222
Fax: +31 (0)20 618 0325

125 Park Avenue
23rd Floor
New York
NY 10017
USA
Tel: +1 212 309 5498
Fax: +1 212 309 5480

Related SourceWatch articles

• Arms control
• Campaign Against the Arms Trade
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Global Compact
• Political influence of arms companies
• U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
• Sheila Forbes
• Lisa Hook
• Peter Davis - former chief executive
• Ben van der Veer
• Anthony Habgood - chair
• Ian Smith (Health) - former CEO
• Robert B. Polet

External links

• "Reed Elsevier and the arms trade", The Lancet, September 10, 2005.
• Stephen J Cowden , "Reed Elsevier and the international arms trade ­ Reed Elsevier's reply", The Lancet, September 10, 2005.