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CBI sacks its director general after investigation into misconduct allegations

By Nagasunder in UK Business News, posted April 13, 2023

The CBI (Confederation of British Industry), an agency that represents employers, has fired Tony Danker as director-general with immediate effect following the conclusion of an independent investigation into allegations of workplace misconduct.

Employment law firm Fox Williams launched the investigation in response to claims that Mr. Danker had behaved inappropriately towards a female employee.

Three additional CBI staff members have also been placed on administrative leave.

In a statement, the CBI said: “When new concerns were raised relating to our director-general, Tony Danker, in early March we established an independent investigation conducted by Fox Williams, a leading employment law firm, and agreed with him that he should step aside while it took place.

"The first phase of this investigation has now concluded and, following the subsequent reports of wider workplace misconduct, the CBI board has decided to take a number of steps to bring in new leadership and make immediate changes to the way we operate. Tony Danker is dismissed with immediate effect following the independent investigation into specific complaints of workplace misconduct against him.

"The board wishes to make clear he is not the subject of any of the more recent allegations in The Guardian, but has determined that his own conduct fell short of that expected of the director general."

The CBI, which represents 190,000 companies, has announced that Rain Newton-Smith, its former top economist, has been named the organisation's new director-general.

She currently works for Barclays as managing director of strategy, policy, sustainability, and ESG.

The company said it is in contact with the authorities and has made it clear it intends to fully comply with any police inquiries as Fox Williams moves forward with the next stage of its investigation.

Its statement added: "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.

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"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.”

Source: Business Live