Unilever has responded to claims by its US ice-cream subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s, which had suggested the parent business had ousted its CEO to silence its activism.
UK-based Unilever, behind brands such as Marmite and Knorr, did not comment on the motivation behind a decision to remove Dave Stever but said it had followed the correct procedure and was “disappointed” that the matter had been made public by the Vermont-based ice-cream business, known for its activism on issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict.
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Ben & Jerry’s filed a case in a New York court on Tuesday (18 March) accusing the FMCG giant of ousting Stever – its CEO since 2023 – in an attempt to silence its so-called ‘social mission’.
UK broadcaster the BBC quoted part of the filing. “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 was advised by Unilever on 3 March that it was removing Stever.
But in a statement sent to Just Food responding to Ben & Jerry’s claims, a
Unilever spokesperson said the company had acted according to agreed procedures between the two businesses.
“In line with the terms of the acquisition agreement, decisions on the appointment, compensation and removal of the Ben & Jerry’s CEO will be made by Unilever after good faith consultation and discussion with the B&J’s independent board,” it said.
“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.
“We hope that the B&J independent board will engage as per the original, agreed process.”
It is the latest in a series of rows between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever, which bought the ice-cream business in 2000.
Disagreements between the businesses originated in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it was halting sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, causing a backlash in Israel, which then threatened a boycott of Unilever products. In June 2022, Unilever sold its ice-cream operation in the country in an attempt to draw a line under a damaging diplomatic row.
Last November, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit saying Unilever had tried to stop it from expressing support for Palestinian refugees. Unilever denied the claims.
And last month, in another court filing, Ben & Jerry’s said its owner had tried to ban it from publicly criticising US President Donald Trump.
Unilever has been linked with plans to sell its ice-cream arm, which also includes Breyers and Magnum, but recently announced the unit would become a standalone business, demerged from the rest of the company by the end of this year.
Unilever plans to list its ice-cream business in Amsterdam, London and New York. The Marmite owner’s shares are already trading on exchanges in those markets.
Yesterday, Unilever said the ice-cream assets would be called The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
