CBI sacks director general amid misconduct claims

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has dismissed its director general Tony Danker following allegations of misconduct.

Last month, it was revealed that Danker was to step away from his role due to an investigation into complaints concerning his conduct in the workplace. The CBI had engaged employment law at Fox Williams in an investigation into the allegations while CBI’s chief UK policy director, Matthew Fell, replaced Danker on an interim basis.

However, in a new announcement following the completion of the first phase of the investigation, the CBI revealed that Danker has been dismissed with immediate effect and replaced with former CBI chief economist and currently managing director, Strategy and Policy, Sustainability and ESG for Barclays, Rain Newton-Smith.

The statement said: “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.”

Tony Danker Tweeted on Tuesday (11th April): “I recognise the intense publicity the CBI has suffered following the revelations of awful events that occurred before my time in office. I was appalled to learn about them for the first time last week.

“I was nevertheless shocked to learn this morning that I had been dismissed from the CBI, instead of being invited to put my position forward as was originally confirmed. Many of the allegations against me have been distorted, but I recognise that I unintentionally made a number of colleagues feel uncomfortable and I am truly sorry about that. I want to wish my former CBI colleagues every success.”

The CBI said that three other CBI employees are now suspended pending further investigation into a number of ongoing allegations. It also confirmed that while Fox Williams continues with the next phase of its inquiry, the CBI is liaising with the police and has made clear its intention to “cooperate fully with any police investigations”.

I recognise the intense publicity the CBI has suffered following the revelations of awful events that occurred before my time in office. I was appalled to learn about them for the first time last week…

— Tony Danker (@tonydanker) April 11, 2023

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.”

It continued: “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.”