Unilever Names Jochanan Senf As New Ben & Jerry’s Ceo

Ben & Jerry’s crystal cream. Credit: Walter Cicchetti / Shutterstock

Unilever has appointed Jochanan Senf arsenic nan CEO of Ben Jerry’s pursuing nan exit of erstwhile Dave Stever arsenic nan caput of nan subsidiary successful March.

According to Ben & Jerry’s independent board, Stever was ousted earlier this twelvemonth for defending nan company’s societal activism connected issues for illustration immigration, Black Lives Matter and pro-Palestinian protests.

In March, Ben & Jerry’s filed a case successful New York accusing Unilever of removing Stever without nan support of nan subsidiary’s ain board. The move, Ben & Jerry’s contested, violated an statement meant to protect its independency and societal activism.

Under nan position of its acquisition of Ben & Jerry’s successful 2000, Unilever agreed to clasp an independent committee of board astatine nan Vermont-based business who were focused connected maintaining nan brand’s societal mission.

According to The Wall Street Journal, nan Ben & Jerry’s committee was not fixed nan chance to question and reply candidates to win Stever. Just Food has asked Unilever to comment.

However, Unilever said successful consequence that it “repeatedly sought to collaborate successful bully religion pinch nan Independent Board regarding nan action of nan caller CEO.

“Any claims that nan Independent Board was excluded from nan hunt process are simply incorrect,” nan shaper said.

Disagreements betwixt nan businesses originated successful 2021 erstwhile Ben & Jerry’s announced it was halting income successful nan Israeli-occupied West Bank, causing a backlash successful Israel which threatened a boycott of Unilever products. In June 2022, Unilever sold its crystal pick cognition successful nan country in an effort to tie a statement nether a damaging negotiated row.

Last November, Ben & Jerry’s revenge a suit saying Unilever had tried to extremity it from expressing support for Palestinian refugees. Unilever denied nan claims.

In February, successful different tribunal filing, Ben & Jerry’s said its proprietor had tried to prohibition it from publically criticising US President Donald Trump.

Unilever is readying to rotation disconnected its ice-cream business later this twelvemonth pinch nan caller institution to beryllium listed successful Amsterdam, London and New York.

In a connection from Unilever, nan FMCG elephantine described Senf arsenic an “ice pick veteran” adding his profession has been “deeply entwined pinch Ben & Jerry’s”.

According to Senf’s LinkedIn profile, he spent 7 years astatine Ben & Jerry’s arsenic MD for its business successful Europe.

Senf has spent much than 20 years astatine Unilever included nan domiciled astatine Ben & Jerry’s. Since 2022, he has been nan wide head for Unilever’s nutrient business successful nan DACH markets.

The connection said: “This acquisition allowed him to study first-hand nan value and powerfulness of Ben & Jerry’s unsocial three-part ngo – product, economical and societal – and really this is instrumental to nan occurrence of nan business and its effect connected communities.

In 2024, Unilever’s ice-cream business generated a turnover of €8.3bn ($9.7bn), up 4.5% connected a twelvemonth earlier. The demerged business will beryllium called The Magnum Ice Cream Company and based successful nan Netherlands.