CBI secures strong mandate from membership with 93% voting in favour

Following an Extraordinary General Meeting in London, CBI members strongly backed the following motion:  

Do the changes we have made − and the commitments we have set out − to reform our governance, culture, and purpose give you the confidence you need to support the CBI?   

• 93% of votes backed the motion;  
• 7% of votes rejected the motion;  
• There were 371 votes in total with 23 abstentions/vote withheld.  

CBI members voted on the basis of ‘one member, one vote’ – whether a direct member or a Trade Association   

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Director General, said:  

“After an incredibly tough period, I’m deeply grateful for the faith shown in us by our members. We’ve made real progress in implementing the top-to-bottom programme of change promised by the board and, while there remains work to do, today’s result represents an important milestone on that journey.  

“Even an organisation as established as the CBI is only as strong as its members. That support is something we have never taken for granted. We will work tirelessly to repay the faith shown in us and are committed to living the values and changes we have proposed.   

“Let me be clear, we have listened, we have acted, and we will leave no stone unturned to be the best voice for business inside and out.  

“We also heard another important message from members. That they want us to bring our breadth and depth of expertise, as well as our unique convening power, to bear on the economic challenges of the day.”