 After receiving his education at Malvern College, Reeves did National Service with the Rifle Brigade in Kenya and Malaya.He joined the Bank of England in 1958, moving to Hill Samuel in 1963 where he worked closely with his mentor Lord Keith.It is widely recognised that Reeves played a central role in the transformation of Morgan Grenfell and Merrill Lynch, both prominent City of London investment banks, from conservative to meritocratic institutions.