Ben & Jerry’s CEO was Removed From Their Position Due to Political Activism.

Ben & Jerry’s announced that its CEO, David Stever, was being removed by its parent company, Unilever, due to ongoing tensions over the ice cream company’s political activism. This move is part of a broader legal dispute in a U.S. court, where Ben & Jerry’s claims that Unilever violated a merger agreement by attempting to silence the brand’s “social mission.”

The conflict dates back a month when Ben & Jerry’s accused Unilever of pressuring it to stop publicly criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump. Unilever responded, expressing disappointment over the public disclosure of an internal career discussion and emphasizing its efforts to engage with Ben & Jerry’s board through proper channels.

According to Ben & Jerry’s filing with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Unilever allegedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO Stever, if they did not comply with efforts to suppress the company’s activism.

Since its founding in 1978, Ben & Jerry’s has been outspoken on social issues, supporting campaigns for LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, and more. The company was acquired by Unilever in 2000 through a merger agreement that established an independent board to protect the company’s values and mission. However, the relationship between the two companies has been strained, particularly since Ben & Jerry’s decision to halt sales in the West Bank in 2021.

The dispute intensified last year when Ben & Jerry’s advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza and filed a lawsuit in November, claiming Unilever attempted to prevent it from expressing support for Palestinian refugees. Additionally, in a separate court filing, the company stated Unilever sought to stop it from publicly criticizing Donald Trump.

Stever, who joined Ben & Jerry’s in 1988 and became CEO in 2023, has been at the center of this controversy. Ben & Jerry’s court filing alleges that Stever’s removal occurred without proper consultation with the independent board, as required by the merger agreement.

In response, Unilever stated that, in accordance with the terms of the acquisition, decisions regarding the appointment, compensation, and removal of the CEO should involve consultation with the independent board, and they hope the board will engage as originally agreed.