Unilever Fired Ben & Jerry’s CEO Over Liberal Views, Court Filing Alleges

Ben & Jerry’s parent firm threatened then ousted the ice cream brand’s chief executive for defending its “social mission,” a Tuesday court filing alleges.

Officials with the consumer packaged goods company Unilever told Ben & Jerry’s independent board that it planned to remove chief executive Dave Stever on March 3 and pressed the board to quickly rubber-stamp the decision, according to the court filing from Ben & Jerry’s and board directors. Board members sought more time and asked to see Unilever minutes and notes related to the decision, but they were refused, the filing said.

Spokespeople and attorneys for Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s did not immediately respond Wednesday to requests for comment.

Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s has for decades pursued its “social mission” by taking positions on issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBTQ+ rights, under the oversight of an independent board that was established when Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000.

But the brand’s advocacy since then has led to clashes with Unilever, including over the board’s desire to stop distributing Ben & Jerry’s in parts of East Jerusalem and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

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