Tony Danker, the Director General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), is leaving the organization immediately following allegations of misconduct involving a female employee. The CBI announced that three other employees have also been suspended “pending further investigation into several ongoing allegations.”
The CBI stated it is “liaising with the police and has clarified its intention to co-operate fully with any police investigations.” Mr. Danker had stepped aside in March while the investigation was being conducted and has not yet commented on the recent developments. He previously apologized and expressed that any “offense or anxiety” he caused was unintentional.
Last week, The Guardian newspaper reported claims of sexual misconduct against CBI employees, including an allegation of rape at a summer boat party in 2019. The CBI has postponed its public events and hired the law firm, Fox Williams, to investigate the allegations separately.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the CBI said: “Tony Danker is dismissed immediately following the independent investigation into specific complaints of workplace misconduct against him. The board wishes to clarify that 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 UK government departments have also put their engagement with the CBI on hold.
