The decision follows "an independent investigation into specific complaints of workplace misconduct against" Danker, the IWC said in a statement, in which it "apologizes to the victims of this organisational failure".

The employers' union announced on Tuesday that Rain Newton-Smith, former chief economist of the CBI, who was recently appointed to the management team of the British bank Barclays, would be its new chief executive.

"I want the IWC to be an organization we can all be proud of," Newton-Smith said in a separate statement, saying she was "grateful and determined to lead the team through this challenging time."

"The allegations that have been made in recent weeks about the IWC have been devastating," the organization acknowledged, adding that three other of its employees "are now suspended pending further investigation."

In a sign of the unease, the CBI has seen its usual partners distance themselves in recent days, with some companies reassessing their membership status while government bodies have halted their collaboration.

"The IWC must resolve this issue quickly, restore our confidence in the organisation," Andy Wood, chief executive of Adnams Brewery, told the BBC last week, as the company is assessing his possible departure from the organisation.

Several women working for the IWC claim to have been sexually assaulted, and even raped, by CBI leaders, according to an investigation published in early April by The Guardian newspaper.

The revelations were published less than a month after the announcement of the withdrawal of Mr. Danker, himself targeted by allegations of "unsolicited contacts" considered as "sexual harassment" in his workplace.

Director General of the IWC since November 2020, Danker said Tuesday on Twitter that he was "shocked to learn" of his dismissal "instead of being asked to make his case". If he "acknowledges having unintentionally made a number of colleagues uncomfortable", he ensures that many allegations concerning him "have been distorted".

"Misogynistic culture"

According to the latest testimonies collected by The Guardian - and which do not concern Mr. Danker - more than a dozen women who work or have worked for the IWC say they have been victims of "various forms of inappropriate sexual behaviour by officials" of the organization.

One of them claims to have been raped at a party on board a boat on the Thames in 2019, while another says she was sexually assaulted during the same event.

All denounce a "misogynistic" and "toxic" culture within this organization which claims to represent 190,000 companies of all sizes and sectors in the United Kingdom.

The CBI hired a law firm, Fox Williams, to investigate. She is also in contact with the police and wants to cooperate fully with any investigation by the authorities, she said.

The employers' organisation cancelled its annual gala dinner, which was scheduled for May and is normally attended by leading members of the British business community, as well as leaders from the public sphere.

"It is already clear to all of us that there have been serious shortcomings in the way we have acted as an organisation," the IWC said on Tuesday, which "thanks all those who had the courage to speak out".

"A comprehensive review of our culture, governance and procedures ... to understand what needs to be changed and improved" was entrusted by the organization to one of its leaders.

© 2023 AFP