City veteran Rupert Soames will be the next president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the scandal-hit UK business lobby group has announced.
Soames, chair of medical technology firm Smith & Nephew, will take over from Brian McBride, who has led the CBI through a tumultuous year during which a significant number of large companies cut ties with the group after allegations of serious sexual misconduct by staff.
The CBI said Soames, a grandson of Winston Churchill and former chief executive of outsourcer Serco, would take part in a leadership transition “early in the new year” and would be formally elected by members at its annual meeting in June 2024.