CBI Director General Tony Danker has been dismissed with immediate effect following an independent investigation into complaints of workplace misconduct.
Law firm Fox Williams was hired to investigate Danker in March after a formal complaint made in January from a female CBI employee, who alleged he made unwanted contact with her and considered it to be sexual harassment. It also followed further alleged informal reports of concerns over his behaviour.
The first phase of this investigation has now concluded and, following subsequent reports of wider workplace misconduct, the CBI Board has dismissed Danker, brought in new leadership, with Rain Newton-Smith, former CBI Chief Economist and currently Managing Director, Strategy and Policy, Sustainability and ESG for Barclays, agreeing to rejoin the CBI as its new Director General, and made changes to how it operates.
Jill Ader, a CBI Board member and Senior Adviser and recent Global Chair of the leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder, will oversee a root-and-branch review of the CBI’s culture, governance and processes, leading a new sub-committee of the Board alongside its President Brian McBride.
A new, elevated position of Chief People Officer will also be created, which will sit on the CBI’s executive committee and report directly to the Board on all matters of workplace conduct and culture.
The CBI also revealed that three other CBI employees have now been suspended pending further investigation into a number of ongoing allegations. It added that while Fox Williams continues with the next phase of its inquiry, the CBI is liaising with the police and will cooperate fully with any investigations.
A statement from the CBI said: “The allegations that have been made over recent weeks about the CBI have been devastating. While investigations continue into a number of these, it is already clear to all of us that there have been serious failings in how we have acted as an organisation. We must do better, and we must be better.
“We apologise to the victims of this organisational failure, including those impacted by the revulsion we have all felt at hearing their stories. Nobody should feel unsafe in their workplace.
“We wish to thank all those who have had the courage to speak out, through internal or external channels, and encourage them to keep doing so. Our website describes how to do so, providing contact details for specific CBI Management or for an independent third party, whichever route individuals feel more comfortable taking.
“The CBI exists to help British business flourish. This is a privilege and responsibility which we take extremely seriously and cannot take for granted. We represent our members not just in how we advocate for them, but also through our values as an organisation. It means we must be a place where colleagues are safe, valued and respected, and where there is zero tolerance for behaviour that falls short of those expectations.”
