Ben & Jerry’s has accused its father or mother workforce, Unilever, of sacking the ice-cream emblem’s leader government for refusing to “oversee the dismantling” of its modern values.America-based emblem mentioned in a courtroom submitting that David Stever, who led the corporate for nearly two years, used to be “got rid of” from his put up previous this month. He has been with Ben & Jerry’s since becoming a member of as a excursion information in 1988.Ben & Jerry’s alleged in a submitting to the United States district courtroom for the southern district of New York that Unilever, the UK-based client workforce that owns manufacturers together with Marmite and Dove, sought after to forestall the boss making political statements.Anuradha Mittal, the chair of Ben & Jerry’s unbiased board, mentioned: “Dave has courageously complex the corporate’s social undertaking and values, has persevered to force innovation in its tremendous top rate product vary, and has delivered sturdy monetary effects, a ways outpacing the remainder of Unilever’s ice-cream industry.“What Dave hasn’t executed is what Unilever would really like him to do, which is to supervise the dismantling of Ben & Jerry’s undertaking, modern values.”The courtroom motion is the newest episode in a testy courting between the ice-cream emblem and its proprietor, which ousted its personal leader government, Hein Schumacher, final month and changed him with its finance leader, Fernando Fernandez, to hurry up the corporate’s turnaround.Closing month, Ben & Jerry’s accused Unilever of not easy that it prevent publicly criticising Donald Trump.In November, Ben & Jerry’s introduced felony motion in opposition to Unilever, accusing its father or mother corporate of seeking to block the ice-cream emblem from making public statements supporting Palestinian refugees within the battle in Gaza.It mentioned Unilever had breached the phrases of a confidential agreement agreed in 2022 after a conflict over plans to forestall promoting its merchandise within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution.Ben & Jerry’s, which used to be based by way of Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1978, used to be purchased by way of the UK-based client items workforce in 2000.As a part of the merger deal, an unbiased board used to be arrange to give protection to the ice-cream emblem’s undertaking and powerful stance on social problems.Mittal additionally accused Unilever of sought after to dismantle that settlement, which he mentioned had “secure Ben & Jerry’s place as a completely owned self sustaining subsidiary, the very issues that experience created the corporate’s monetary good fortune and implausible emblem loyalty amongst its lovers. For this reason the unbiased board has sued Unilever and why Unilever is looking for to punish the executive government.”skip previous publication promotionSign as much as Industry TodayGet set for the operating day – we will level you to the entire industry information and research you wish to have each morningPrivacy Understand: Newsletters would possibly comprise data about charities, on-line advertisements, and content material funded by way of outdoor events. For more info see our Privateness Coverage. We use Google reCaptcha to give protection to our web site and the Google Privateness Coverage and Phrases of Provider practice.after publication promotionThe courtroom submitting mentioned: “Unilever has many times threatened Ben & Jerry’s staff, together with CEO David Stever, must they fail to agree to Unilever’s efforts to silence the social undertaking.“On 3 March 2025, Unilever knowledgeable the unbiased board that they had been getting rid of and changing Mr Stever as Ben & Jerry’s CEO.”
The 2 events have had a chain of disputes lately, with specific tensions over Ben & Jerry’s transfer to halt gross sales within the West Financial institution in 2021. Unilever blocked the makes an attempt however used to be then sued by way of Ben & Jerry’s.The newest row comes after Unilever introduced plans to listing its ice-cream industry at the Amsterdam inventory change.The record will separate a department that makes 5 of the arena’s top-selling 10 ice-cream manufacturers, together with Wall’s, Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s. It additionally makes Cornetto, Viennetta, Carte d’Or and Breyers, which is large in the United States.Unilever has been contacted for remark.
