Ben & Jerry's says CEO fired by Unilever on political stance
Founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1978, the brand became popular with offbeat flavors like Cherry Garcia and associated itself with progressive causes. When Unilever bought the company in 2000, an agreement established an independent board at Ben & Jerry's to protect its social values.
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However, the two have consistently clashed over how Ben & Jerry's communicates that social mission. In 2022, Ben & Jerry's sued Unilever for blocking its attempts to stop selling ice cream in the occupied West Bank.
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Unilever is currently preparing to spin off its ice cream division, which will list in the Netherlands. The company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The foodmaker's shares were little changed in London on Wednesday, and have risen 15 percent in the past 12 months.
The row comes as progressive causes at companies are increasingly under attack in the US and beyond. Businesses have started to retreat from commitments to diversity and inclusion under pressure from the Trump administration.
Ben & Jerry's has now accused Unilever of silencing its attempts to speak out in support of peace in Gaza and usurping the independent board's authority.
The latest dispute unfolded on March 3, when Ben & Jerry's said Unilever informed its independent board that it was removing and replacing Stever as CEO. Ben & Jerry's accused Unilever of attempting to force it to rubber stamp the decision by enforcing a hasty deadline.
The ice cream maker said the actions breached the merger agreement 'by obstructing the CEO's duties, purposely undermining Ben & Jerry's Social Mission and Brand Integrity, and failing to abide by the agreed procedure for removal of Ben & Jerry's CEO,' according to the filing.
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