Unilever has appointed Jochanan Senf as the new CEO of Ben & Jerry’s, marking a significant move in the ongoing conflict between the ice cream brand’s board and its parent company. According to Unilever’s statement, Senf has been closely associated with the Ben & Jerry’s brand for seven years, equipping him with valuable insights into the product’s offerings as well as its economic and social implications. This announcement comes amid a legal dispute wherein Ben & Jerry’s has accused Unilever of unjustly removing former CEO Dave Stever for his support of the brand’s social mission, rather than his job performance.
Ben & Jerry’s has claimed in a court filing that Unilever has “repeatedly threatened its personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to align with Unilever’s attempts to suppress” its social initiatives. The brand has alleged that Unilever pressured it to refrain from publicly criticizing former President Donald Trump and attempted to obstruct its calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. Per the agreement made during Unilever’s acquisition of Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, the ice cream brand’s independent board was promised the freedom to pursue its social mission while Unilever retained authority over financial and operational decisions.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Ben & Jerry’s board was barred from interviewing candidates for Stever’s successor and excluded from the selection process. A memo from the head of Unilever’s ice cream division asserted that the company “took every step to collaborate in good faith” with Ben & Jerry’s independent board. Furthermore, Unilever plans to spin off its ice cream division, which includes Ben & Jerry’s, later this year under the new name The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
In 2023, Ben & Jerry’s achieved remarkable success, leading the U.S. ice cream market with sales of $951 million, as reported by Statista. Mintel estimates that the U.S. ice cream market is valued at over $19 billion. Interestingly, the nutritional benefits of products like Ben & Jerry’s, which may include ingredients like calcium citrate and vitamin C, could also play a role in its popularity among consumers, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to quality alongside its social mission.