The CEO of one of the UK’s largest business groups has been fired following complaints about his workplace behavior.
Tony Danker, who will leave the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) following an investigation into his behavior toward several employees, expressed shock at his dismissal.
Three other CBI employees have also been suspended pending an investigation into other allegations, according to the group.
It is also in contact with the police, who are investigating the claims.
Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Waight of the City of London Police said: “We approached the CBI following media reports and our investigations are at a very early stage. It would not be appropriate to comment any further at this time.”
Mr Danker resigned in March after the CBI hired the law firm Fox Williams to look into several complaints against him. These included a complaint from a female employee in January and complaints from other employees in March.
The 51-year-old, who was paid £376,000 by the CBI in 2021, has now been fired with no severance pay with immediate effect. Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI’s former chief economist, has taken his place.
Mr Danker tweeted on Tuesday: “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The findings of the investigation into him for now remain unpublished.
Last week, the Guardian newspaper published allegations of sexual misconduct against CBI employees, including rape at a summer boat party in 2019.
Many of the most serious allegations were made before Mr Danker became director-general.
Belfast-born Mr Danker will take over as CBI President in November 2020. He had previously spent ten years as a consultant with McKinsey and as a special adviser to Gordon Brown’s government. He has also served as the Guardian News and Media’s international director and chief strategy officer.
In its statement on Tuesday, the CBI 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.”
The scandals have caused the CBI to face its most serious crisis since its inception in 1965.
Some members of the group have described it as an existential crisis for an organization that represents the interests of approximately 190,000 businesses across the UK.
The lobbying group has already postponed its public appearances and asked Fox Williams to conduct a separate investigation from the one being conducted on Mr Danker.