Unilever named Jochanan Senf as the CEO for Ben & Jerry’s in the latest salvo in an ongoing dispute with the top-selling ice cream brand’s board.
Senf has worked closely with the Ben & Jerry’s brand for seven years, Unilever said in a statement, giving him firsthand knowledge of the offering’s product, as well as its economic and social impact.
The announcement comes as Ben & Jerry’s has been ensnarled in a legal fight with Unilever over the removal of the ice cream’s former CEO, Dave Stever. Ben & Jerry’s claimed its parent company fired Stever for backing the brand’s social mission and not because of his job performance.
The Cherry Garcia maker stated in a court filing earlier this year that Unilever has “repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever’s efforts to silence” its social mission.
The brand has accused Unilever of demanding it stop publicly criticizing President Donald Trump. Ben & Jerry’s also claims its parent company tried to block it from making public statements advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza.
As part of Unilever’s deal to acquire Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, the companies agreed the ice cream brand’s independent board would be free to pursue its social mission, but that the London-based CPG company would have the final say on financial and operational matters.
Ben & Jerry’s board wasn’t allowed to interview candidates for Stever’s successor and was excluded from the appointment process, according to The Wall Street Journal. The business publication cited a staff memo from the head of Unilever’s ice cream unit, which said the company “took every step to collaborate in good faith” with the independent board at Ben & Jerry’s.
Unilever is planning to spin off its ice cream business, which includes Ben & Jerry’s, later this year. The new company will be called The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
Ben & Jerry’s was the leading ice cream brand in the U.S., with $951 million in sales during 2023, according to data from Statista. Mintel estimated the U.S. ice cream market is valued at more than $19 billion.
