John Allan, chairman of the board of British supermarket giant Tesco, accused in the press by four women of inappropriate behaviour, including sexual assault, will “resign” at the group’s general meeting on June 16, the company announced on Friday.
The departure of John Allan, former president of the CBI employers’ confederation, comes after the organization fired its former boss Tony Danker “with immediate effect” last month for “inappropriate conduct on the job.” The organization also faces two counts of rape against various officials at CBI events and other charges of sexual harassment.
alleged sexual harassment
The Guardian last week reported allegations that John Allan, 74, groped the buttocks of a senior Tesco executive in June 2022 during the group’s general meeting. The man who has chaired Tesco’s board since 2015 is also accused of groping an employee of the CBI employers’ confederation during the organization’s annual dinner in May 2019 when he was chairman.
Finally, The Guardian reported that John Allan, who chaired the CBI in 2018 and 2019, made “inappropriate comments during these and similar events to two other CBI staff members in November 2019 and 2021, respectively.” Some of these women “said they felt hurt by these alleged gestures and words and considered this behavior as sexual harassment,” according to the newspaper.
“John apologized unreservedly”
John Allan immediately denied all charges against him except for comments about a CBI worker in 2019. “John has apologized unreservedly for the comment he made” on that occasion, Tesco said on Friday.
The group also says it immediately launched an in-depth investigation into the events that allegedly took place last year during the group’s general assembly, in particular by questioning those present and based on video footage filmed during the event.
This review “did not identify any evidence or complaint” against John Allan “at Tesco’s 2022 general meeting or, more broadly, during his tenure as Tesco chairman,” the supermarket giants write.
Tesco shares fall slightly
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank (John Allan) for his significant contribution to the business. We have come a long way in our search for a new Chairman and will make an announcement in due course,” added Byron Grote. The group’s share fell 0.48% to 267.10 pence on Friday around 14:15 GMT on the London Stock Exchange.
The allegations against the CBI have rocked the UK business community, causing many member companies to leave, while the government has distanced itself from the organization. The new director, Rain Newton-Smith, has vowed to “rebuild” Britain’s main employers’ organization, whose survival is now in doubt.
Source: BFM TV
