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Ben & Jerry’s announced that its parent company, Unilever (LON:ULVR), had removed its chief executive, Dave Stever, intensifying the conflict regarding the ice cream company’s autonomy on social policy matters. This development is part of an ongoing legal tussle, with Ben & Jerry’s claiming Unilever’s actions violate the terms of their 2000 merger agreement, which ostensibly safeguards the CEO’s position from unilateral dismissal.
Ben & Jerry’s has filed an updated complaint in New York, asserting that Unilever bypassed necessary protocols in dismissing Stever. The complaint cites a January performance review in which Stever was criticized for his support of Ben & Jerry’s social advocacy, suggesting that Unilever’s decision to replace him was influenced by the brand’s vocal stance on progressive issues.
The ice cream maker’s legal team has accused Unilever of attempting to stifle Ben & Jerry’s commitment to its social mission, describing the parent company’s actions as increasingly oppressive. According to the complaint, Unilever has issued repeated warnings to Ben & Jerry’s staff against undermining efforts to downplay the subsidiary’s social initiatives.
The dispute first reached the courts in November 2024 when Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever for allegedly silencing its efforts to express support for Palestinian refugees and to advocate for the cessation of military aid to Israel. Ben & Jerry’s has been operating in Israel since 1987, and its stance on these issues has been a point of contention between the subsidiary and its parent company.
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