Unilever has removed Ben and Jerry’s chief executive, David Stever, reportedly due to the ice cream brand’s political activism. The claim was made in a legal filing with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, March 18.
Ben & Jerry’s stated that Unilever informed its board on March 3 that Stever would be replaced, violating their original merger agreement. This agreement, which ensured Ben & Jerry’s remained an independent board to safeguard its social mission, specified that any decision regarding the CEO must involve consultation with the board’s committee.
The filing also alleged that 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.” Founded in 1978, the ice cream brand has long been known for its outspoken stance on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, climate change and reproductive rights, with its well-known tagline being: “Peace, Love and Icecream”. The company has long been a go-to for the ethical consumer.
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Tensions between the two companies escalated in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it would halt sales in Israel. Their dispute continued last November when Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever, accusing it of suppressing the company’s statements supporting Palestinian rights.
Unilever expressed disappointment over the dispute becoming public. “Regrettably, despite repeated attempts to engage the board and follow the correct process, we are disappointed that the confidentiality of an employee career conversation has been made public,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
Unilever is the parent company of Dove, Knorr, Persil, Magnum, Hellmann’s, and Axe (Lynx), among others, and last May, it announced plans to spin off its ice cream division, including Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, and Magnum, by the end of 2025. The company has also been scaling back several previous commitments, including its pledge to halve plastic use by 2025. It has additionally abandoned commitments to pay direct suppliers a living wage by 2030 and increase disability representation in its workforce.
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