CBI appoints chief people officer as it aims to ‘rebuild trust’
The scandal-hit Confederation of British Industry has appointed a “chief people officer” in an attempt to overhaul the lobby group’s internal culture after a series of sexual misconduct allegations reported by the Guardian.
Elizabeth Wallace, a former headhunter for BlackRock, will take up the new role as part of the CBI executive committee and will report on workplace conduct and culture issues directly to the board.
The CBI said Wallace’s appointment was the latest in a series of “decisive steps to rebuild trust in the CBI’s culture and purpose”, having also appointed the business ethics consultancy Principia Advisory to help overhaul its operations earlier this month.
The lobby group is embarking on a wide-reaching turnaround plan as it tries to regain the trust of its members.
More than 50 large businesses, including John Lewis and NatWest, suspended or cancelled their membership last month after the Guardian’s publication of a series of allegations of sexual misconduct. Those allegations included a woman’s claimthat she was raped by a manager during a 2019 summer boat party on the River Thames, and a second allegation that a separate woman was raped by two male colleagues when she worked at an overseas office of the CBI.
The lobby group said Wallace would start by implementing the 35 recommendations put forward by the law firm Fox Williams, which held an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct at the business lobby group and outlined ways that the group could improve its culture and management.
While the CBI has paused its formal operations, it is preparing itself for an extraordinary general meeting on 6 June, when it is expected to try to regain the trust – and substantial fees – of former members.
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