Ben & Jerry’s Accuses Unilever of Ousting CEO Over Social Activism

Ben & Jerry’s has accused its parent company, Unilever, of unilaterally ousting its CEO Dave Stever over his commitment to the brand’s social mission, escalating a long-standing battle over the ice cream maker’s independence in political activism, Jonathan Stempel reported for Reuters.

Ben & Jerry’s claims Unilever’s efforts to silence its activism have reached “new levels of oppressiveness” and continue to erode the company’s founding principles. I Photo: Ben & Jerry's

In a court filing on Tuesday night in Manhattan federal court, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever informed them on March 3 of Stever’s removal without consulting its board. The company claims the move was not due to performance concerns, but rather his alignment with the brand’s progressive values.

According to the filing, Unilever criticized Stever in a January performance review for “repeatedly acquiescing” to Ben & Jerry’s promotion of social justice causes.

The ice cream brand also alleges that Unilever has been actively suppressing its activism, blocking initiatives such as a Black History Month campaign in February and its recent support for Mahmoud Khalil, a U.S. permanent resident facing deportation under the Trump administration due to his involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University.

Ben & Jerry’s claims Unilever’s efforts to silence its activism have reached “new levels of oppressiveness” and continue to erode the company’s founding principles.