Ben & Jerry’s says chief executive fired by Unilever over ice-cream brand's political stance 

Ben & Jerry’s alleges in legal complaint that Unilever dismissed David Stever after he failed to stop the brand speaking out on issues including the war in Gaza

Ben & Jerry’s accused parent company Unilever Plc of firing its chief executive officer, claiming he was ousted because of disputes over the ice cream brand’s social mission.

Ben & Jerry’s accused parent company Unilever of firing its chief executive officer, claiming he was ousted because of disputes over the ice cream brand’s social mission.

In a legal complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, Ben & Jerry’s alleged that Unilever dismissed David Stever after he failed to stop the brand from speaking out on political issues. “Unilever has repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever’s efforts to silence the social mission,” Ben & Jerry’s said in the filing.

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.

However, the two have consistency 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 occupied territories.

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 row comes at a time when companies in the US and beyond are increasingly retreating 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 Mr 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.

Bloomberg