CBI settles unfair dismissal row with former chief Tony Danker
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has settled a lawsuit brought by its former director-general Tony Danker, who was fired after allegedly sending unsolicited messages to a female employee.
Mr Danker claimed he was unfairly dismissed by the business lobby group last April following an investigation into his conduct, which included making unwanted verbal remarks towards staff and looking at employees’ personal Instagram accounts.
He apologised for his actions at the time and said that any offence caused was unintentional.
However, he later claimed that some of the allegations against him were “distorted”, arguing that he had not been given the chance to put forward his side of events.
The settlement between Mr Danker and the CBI was announced on Monday, almost a year after he was dismissed.
His exit came amid a broader crisis at the CBI, as a sexual misconduct scandal led to the exodus of dozens of its largest members, including John Lewis, Aviva and EY.
Claims of sexual assault, which did not involve Mr Danker, included the alleged rape of a female staffer at a staff party.
The explosive scandal left the CBI, which had been the voice of Britain’s blue-chip companies for nearly 60 years, scrambling to rebuild its reputation.
Former Serco chief Rupert Soames was hired as the CBI’s new president late last year.
He is now working to restore the CBI’s reputation alongside Rain Newton-Smith, who was brought in to replace Mr Danker as director-general following his exit.
Following Monday’s announcement, the CBI said: “The CBI board has agreed an undisclosed settlement with Mr Danker.
“The CBI board also reiterates that Mr Danker is not associated in any way with the historical allegations reported in the media concerning matters which pre-date his tenure at the CBI and rejects any such association.”
