Fired CBI chief loses role at King’s charity: Tony Danker forfeits prestigious advisory panel position at Business in the Community
- Danker was given a seat on a six-person panel that advised BITC in 2020
- He lost his unpaid role at a charity as an automatic consequence of being fired from the CBI
- BITC played a leading role in the campaign for women at work
Tony Danker, who was unceremoniously sacked last week as boss of the Confederation of British Industry lobby group amid a sex and drug scandal, has lost his position as adviser to the King’s favorite business charity.
Danker was given a seat on a six-member panel advising Business in the Community (BITC) in 2020. He forfeited his unpaid but highly prestigious role with the charity on Tuesday as an automatic result of his dramatic dismissal from his £376,000-a-year job as Director General of the CBI.
His Majesty has been a driving force behind BITC for four decades and is the Royal Founding Patron.
BITC is committed to encouraging companies to be socially responsible and to help build a fairer and greener world.
It has also played a leading role in campaigns for women at work, including Opportunity Now’s drive for gender equality.
From: Tony Danker and the empty space on the BITC website where his data was
Danker was fired without pay after an independent investigation found his conduct, which included sending a barrage of unwanted messages to a female colleague, “failed” what was expected of him as director general of the CBI.
All traces of the former CBI chief were removed from the BITC website this weekend.
A blank space appeared next to miniature portraits of his former colleagues on the advisory board, suggesting that his records had been hastily erased. The King has been deeply involved in BITC, a cause close to his heart, since its inception in the aftermath of the Toxteth and Brixton riots in 1981.
His Majesty, who is a passionate advocate of the potential for business to change communities for the better, became President in 1985.
Since then he has completed approximately 600 personal assignments on behalf of BITC and considers it one of his most important projects. There have been no discussions yet about who, if anyone, will replace Danker. It is unclear whether his replacement as CBI boss, Rain Newton-Smith, will be invited to step in.
Advisory group members serve as a sounding board for BITC CEO Mary Macleod, advising on some of the “biggest overarching issues facing responsible companies today.”
The other advisers include advertising executive Karen Blackett, city grandmaster Sir Ian Cheshire and former BT supremo Gavin Patterson, the current chairman of BITC.
Macleod said, “Tony Danker was on BITC’s advisory group as Director General of the CBI. The CBI’s position on this group is historical and is tied to the CBI as an organization, not a single individual. When it was announced that Danker was no longer serving as Director General, it was therefore only right that he be removed from the group.
“There has been no discussion with the CBI yet, but we wish the new director-general all the best in her further development and look forward to working with her to bring about change.”
The CBI has been at the center of a storm over alleged sexual misconduct and drug abuse since a woman came forward with allegations of Danker’s behavior to The Guardian.
This led to further allegations, not involving Danker and predating his time as Director General, including rape, attempted assault and snorting cocaine at official events.
Danker, 51, said he was ‘shocked’ at his dismissal rather than being invited to tell his side of the story, and that many of the allegations against him were ‘twisted’.
CBI President Brian McBride has also apologized for the scandal.