Ben & Jerry's says parent company Unilever fired CEO over political and social activism

Ben & Jerry's CEO Dave Stever was allegedly ousted in March for social activism including support for Palestine.

Ben & Jerry's has accused its parent company, Unilever, of firing its CEO Dave Stever for allowing the company to engage in political and social activism.

This escalation of the ongoing dispute centers around Ben & Jerry's right to express its social policy views, which include protesting Israel's illegal occupation of Palesstinian territories,  Israel's war on Gaza, supporting the movement to defund police in the US, and publicly criticising US President Donald Trump.

 

 

 

 

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In a filing submitted Tuesday evening to a Manhattan federal court, Ben & Jerry's alleged that on March 3, Unilever informed the company that it was "removing and replacing" Stever.

The ice cream maker claims this decision was made without the approval of its board of directors and followed multiple threats to its staff to comply with Unilever's attempts to suppress its "social mission."

Ben & Jerry's argues that this action violated an agreement established in 2000, when Unilever acquired the company.

Stever, who became CEO in May 2023, had been with Ben & Jerry's since 1988, initially starting as a tour guide.

This lawsuit, which Ben & Jerry's filed in November, sought to stop what it claims is Unilever's ongoing effort to dismantle its board and halt its progressive activism.

Unilever responded on Wednesday, seeking a dismissal of Ben & Jerry's earlier complaint. The multinational company clarified that it supports the social advocacy work of Ben & Jerry's, but believes the company's activism has become increasingly "one-sided, highly controversial, and polarizing."

This shift, according to Unilever, began in 2021 when Ben & Jerry's decided to cease selling ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, eventually selling off that business.

Unilever's filing did not address the details of the proposed amended complaint or Stever's firing. The company did, however, express disappointment over the public release of confidential personnel discussions.

At the time of the filing, Ben & Jerry's website still listed Stever as the company's CEO.

Doug Chia, president of the advisory firm Soundboard Governance, weighed in on the issue, suggesting that Unilever's attempts to suppress Ben & Jerry's activism reflected corporate fears of backlash from the Trump administration's strong opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

"For a corporation, they don't want to take any chances on any statements about any social issue or political issue or geopolitics," Chia remarked.

Ben & Jerry's, founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, has long had a reputation for socially conscious activism.

But as corporations have retreated from policies considered too liberal or controversial by conservatives, such as Trump, Ben & Jerry's has found itself at odds with Unilever's broader corporate strategy.

In addition to their social advocacy disputes, Ben & Jerry's accused Unilever last month of forbidding it from publicly criticizing Trump.

In Wednesday's filing, Unilever stated it had offered to collaborate with Ben & Jerry's board on a statement that focused on substantive issues but avoided personal attacks on Trump, an offer the board rejected.

Unilever is set to spin off Ben & Jerry's, along with other ice cream brands like Breyers and Magnum, later this year.

This move is part of Unilever's strategy to simplify its product portfolio, which also includes brands like Dove, Hellmann's, Knorr, Surf, and Vaseline.

The legal case, Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc v Unilever et al, is being heard in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.