Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
Ben & Jerry’s has accused its parent company, Unilever, of ousting its CEO because he spoke up on political issues – without the approval of the ice-cream maker’s advisory board.
In a court filing Ben and Jerry’s said David Stever was fired earlier this month due to his commitment to social purpose, rather than his performance.
The move was made without the approval of the advisory board and goes against an agreement signed by Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever when they merged in 2000, the filing claims.
The complaint about Stever’s ousting was made as part of a lawsuit filed by Ben & Jerry’s in November accusing Unilever of censorship and threats over its expressions of support for Palestinian refugees.
It added that, “under Mr Stever’s tenure, Ben & Jerry’s outperformed Unilever’s ice cream portfolio”.
