Tesco’s chairman has firmly denied claims that he has touched women on two separate occasions.
A report in the Guardian newspaper claims John Allen touched a Tesco employee at the supermarket giant’s shareholders’ meeting last year.
It is also alleged that Mr. Allen, the former president of the CBI, “grabbed” a woman at one of his events in 2019.
Mr Allen said the claims were “simply false” and Tesco said it had received no complaints.
The supermarket giant, which Mr Allan has presided over for eight years, told the BBC that he “did not receive any complaints or concerns, formal or informal, including through our confidential Protector Line,” in relation to his behavior at Tesco’s AGM last year -Service”.
It was found that Mr Allan strongly denied the allegation and his conduct “was never the subject of a complaint during his tenure as chairman of Tesco”.
Tesco added: “This is a serious allegation and if anyone has any concerns or information we ask them to let us know via any of our reporting channels, including our confidential Protector Line, so we can investigate.”
The Guardian also claims Mr Allan commented on the dress and bottoms of a CBI employee in 2021 – an incident he cannot recall.
However, he does admit to commenting to a CBI employee in late 2019 about a dress that suited her figure.
Mr Allan said he was “shamed after making the comment in 2019” and immediately apologized. A spokesman for Mr Allan said: “The person concerned agreed that the matter was closed and no further action was taken.”
The rep added, “The other claims are simply false.”
Mr. Allan served as President of the CBI between 2018 and 2020 and then served as Vice President for just over a year.
The allegations have surfaced as the CBI is struggling to survive following allegations of sexual misconduct at the lobby group, including two rape allegations.
Fox Williams, a law firm, conducted an investigation into the allegations and the CBI admitted it hired “culturally toxic” staff and failed to fire people who sexually harassed female co-workers.
It has since laid off a number of people.
A spokesman for Mr Allan said he had asked Fox Williams to investigate the allegations against him and that the law firm had decided not to.
Mr. Allan is also Chairman of Barratt Developments, the home builder.
In response to the Guardian’s allegations, the Guardian said: “We have a clear and secure whistleblowing policy and have never been made aware of any concerns or allegations regarding John Allan during his time with Barratt.”
A large number of companies have either resigned from the CBI or suspended their membership following allegations of misconduct and rape by lobby staff in April.
Tesco paused its membership, stating: “We are deeply concerned by these very serious allegations and have paused our membership of the CBI with immediate effect.”
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