One of the UK’s most prominent business lobby groups, the Confederation of British Industry, has settled a legal dispute with its former leader, Tony Danker.
Danker was dismissed by the CBI last year, after allegations related to his conduct while director general. In March 2023, the Guardian revealed that formal and informal complaints had been made against him by junior staff at the lobby group.
A spokesperson for the CBI said: “The CBI has today settled legal action brought against the organisation by Tony Danker after his dismissal in April 2023. The CBI board has agreed an undisclosed settlement with Mr Danker.”
They added: “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.”
The CBI sacked Danker with immediate effect in April 2023 after an investigation into complaints about his conduct in the workplace. These allegations were separate to those later revealed by a Guardian investigation into conduct at the lobby group.
Danker said in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) after the announcement of his dismissal in April 2023: “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.”
The CBI had hired a law firm to investigate him after it was approached by the Guardian about a formal complaint made in January, as well a number of alleged informal reports of concerns over his behaviour.
At that time Danker said he was “shocked to learn” of his dismissal, adding that he was “truly sorry” for making colleagues “feel uncomfortable”.
Separate complaints, unrelated to Danker’s personal conduct, were reported by the Guardian in 2023. These included claims by more than a dozen women alleging various forms of sexual misconduct by senior figures at the organisation.
Danker led the CBI from November 2020 until spring 2023. The Belfast-born former chief executive of the business lobby group Be the Business, previously worked at the Guardian’s parent company, Guardian News & Media, as international director and chief strategy officer between 2010 and 2017.
Prior to working at the Guardian he was a policy adviser during the Labour government from 2008 to 2010 in the Cabinet Office and the Treasury.
