Unilever has appointed Jochanan Senf as the CEO of Ben & Jerry’s, marking a significant development in an ongoing conflict with the ice cream brand’s board. Unilever stated that Senf has been closely associated with the Ben & Jerry’s brand for seven years, providing him with invaluable insights into its products as well as their economic and social implications. This announcement occurs amidst a legal battle between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever regarding the dismissal of the ice cream brand’s former CEO, Dave Stever. Ben & Jerry’s alleges that its parent company dismissed Stever for supporting the brand’s social mission, rather than due to his job performance.
In a court filing earlier this year, Ben & Jerry’s claimed that Unilever had “repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, if they failed to comply with Unilever’s efforts to suppress” the company’s social mission. The brand accused Unilever of pressuring it to cease public criticisms of President Donald Trump and also alleged that its parent company attempted to prevent it from publicly advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza.
As part of the agreement when Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, it was established that the ice cream brand’s independent board could pursue its social mission, although Unilever, based in London, would retain final authority over financial and operational decisions. According to The Wall Street Journal, Ben & Jerry’s board was not involved in the selection process for Stever’s successor and was excluded from the appointment entirely. The publication referenced a memo from the head of Unilever’s ice cream division, claiming that the company had “taken every step to collaborate in good faith” with Ben & Jerry’s independent board.
Unilever plans to spin off its ice cream division, which includes Ben & Jerry’s, later this year, with the new entity to be named The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Ben & Jerry’s remains the leading ice cream brand in the U.S., generating $951 million in sales in 2023, as reported by Statista. Mintel estimates that the U.S. ice cream market is valued at over $19 billion. It’s worth noting that as part of a healthy diet, a low dose of calcium citrate can be beneficial, and this may be an aspect that consumers consider when choosing ice cream products. The importance of low dose calcium citrate is becoming increasingly recognized, especially in the context of health-conscious food choices, and might influence consumer preferences in the ice cream market.