Our new director-general Rain Newton-Smith made the point that the news in recent weeks has made for bleak, often distressing, reading for those committed to inclusive workplaces.
The country does, as she said, feel mired in an epidemic of harassment against women. The heartbreak is personally even greater when we accept the CBI’s place among those that have not lived up to the standards we should. We can, we must, and we will do better.
On Sunday, the BBC’s Politics Wales programme recently had an excellent discussion panel that highlighted how, from political parties to emergency services to sporting bodies, many of our institutions have failed badly in keeping their people safe. Cerys Furlong, a former chief executive of Chwarae Teg, a charity that supports the economic development of women, told the show it was exhausting and frustrating for women to have to continually confront these issues. I couldn’t agree more.
That’s why I, and my brilliant Wales team are now working flat out with our London colleagues to put inclusive change at the heart of the organisation’s agenda. Although the alleged incidents took place outside of Wales, we are determined to be part of the solution and will roll up our sleeves to deliver the change that’s needed.
The past few weeks have seen the CBI undergo an extensive and unflinching process of reflection and self-examination. We hope that in doing so, and by being brutally honest about the ways we need to change, we can build trust in the fact this will never happen again.
We can’t turn the clock back, and we can’t unchange what has happened, but we can hopefully show how a modern organisation needs to act when it fails to meet the standards it should. There should be no mistaking the fact that the CBI is committed to change.
The board promised a transformation of corporate culture and that is now underway. I was encouraged to hear that the new director general sees this as an ongoing process, one without end and one subject to constant review and reflection. In so many areas, the danger of complacency is clear for all to see.
So what are we doing?
Quite simply, with the help of experienced experts, we are transforming the way we operate. Governance is being overhauled to ensure greater accountability, recruitment is being reviewed to focus on core values, and members and other businesses are being offered greater opportunities to shape our direction. Nothing is off the table when it comes to promoting inclusivity at every level.
Our Welsh members have been particularly supportive, and they can rest assured that the things they like and value most – the reach, the research, and the convening power of the CBI – will remain the same. If anything, we will build on and enhance those core strengths.
The CBI’s membership – in Wales and beyond – remains large and diverse. Our policy teams have been working hard on the freeports in Milford Haven, Port Talbot and Holyhead; decarbonisation, following the South Wales Industrial Cluster’s Plan for Clean Growth; the proposals for a small modular nuclear reactor which could benefit Gwynedd and across north Wales and the labour and skills market with economic inactivity, including the availability of free childcare for working families, acting as barriers to growth and equal opportunity. Then there is the eagerly-awaited UK semiconductor strategy, which is so important to cities like Cardiff and Newport.
We also helped shape the new Innovation Strategy (from the Welsh Government) which will help create the high-tech employers of tomorrow and are providing insights into business needs and opportunities to achieve Wales’s net zero by 2050 target.
Our policy teams get to the heart of business issues and move the dial in terms of local policy and wider understanding of these issues.
The CBI’s economic policy unit draws on half a century of proprietary economic data to produce respected surveys and analyses, taking the pulse of business and informing sound decision-making.
The CBI retains an essential role within the Welsh economy and public life, by speaking up for all sectors; from farming to manufacturing and tech. I appear frequently on BBC Wales, ITV Wales and podcasts, where I bang the drum for business and the issues they face, from high energy costs to the need for more people to return to the workplace so we can use their skills and experience to develop the economy.
I recognise the CBI’s vital function in speaking up for all business. Every country needs an overarching business voice that can advocate with central government, the devolved administrations and beyond, for policies to support sustainable growth and improve living standards.
Whether working with over 150 UK-wide trade associations spanning farming to tech, other leading UK business organisations, policy-makers, non government organisations, or firms from disparate industries, we are at our best when we use our platform to bring voices together.
It’s an approach we have applied successfully on issues that matter to the local economy, such as the business rates freeze in December’s Budget, which brought Wales into line with a similar measure announced for England by the Chancellor. During the Covid-19 pandemic we threw open our doors to any business and ensured every firm and their employees got the support needed.
Our track record in delivering value for members is strong. That is why our membership retention rate has historically sat at 98 per cent.
In March, our president Brian McBride gave a speech at the CBI Wales lunch in Cardiff. Brian talked about how Wales needed to be even more successful at global trade, which would create opportunities for the semiconductor, financial services, manufacturing and education sector.
The onus is now on the CBI to be at the forefront of delivering that growth, at home and abroad, for future generations, whether that’s in technology, decarbonisation or life sciences. We’re already speaking to startup founders, chief executives and campaigners to identify and nurture the trail-blazing firms that will shape our country’s future. We are not just the voice of established business, we are a voice for the innovators, disrupters and architects of sustainable growth.
There’s so much to do here in Wales, but I know that work can only get underway in earnest once we rebuild the trust of members and stakeholders. My team are committed to delivering sustainable growth and boosting prosperity not just across north and south, but east and west and beyond our borders too.
Ian Price is director of CBI Wales.
Welsh Government' position
The Welsh Government is current not engaging with CBI Wales on the back of the serious allegations.
A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: “The Welsh Government is deeply concerned about the serious allegations made against the CBI. We have sought assurances about the CBI’s commitment to act on the findings of the Fox Williams report.“The safety of women in the workplace is of paramount importance, which is why we have sought further assurances from CBI about their steps in taking immediate action to ensure women are heard and actions addressed. Until these concerns are dealt with, the Welsh Government has paused engagement with the CBI.
“We strongly encourage any victims of inappropriate behaviour in Wales to contact relevant support services, including Live Fear Free and Rights of Women sexual harassment at work helpline, or the ACAS helpline.”
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