Ben & Jerry's Board Reshuffles Amid Governance Changes and Ownership Transition
Ben & Jerry's has announced immediate and upcoming departures from its board as it implements governance changes under a new nine-year board-term limit. Anuradha Mittal will leave immediately, while Daryn Dodson and Jennifer Henderson will depart at the end of the year due to their ineligibility under the new term limit.
The changes have sparked criticism from former board member Ben Cohen, who condemned them as a power grab that undermines the board's authority and independence. However, Ben & Jerry's states the adjustments aim to preserve the brand's historic social mission and safeguard its integrity.
These developments come after the brand was recently acquired by the Magnum Ice Cream Company in a spinoff from Unilever. Magnum aims to strengthen Ben & Jerry's non-partisan, values-based stance. Ben & Jerry's was sold to Unilever in 2000 with the agreement that the board would retain independence over its social mission. Yet, ongoing clashes with Unilever over activism and autonomy persisted and are now inherited by Magnum.
In 2021, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell products in Israeli-occupied territories, resulting in the sale of its Israeli operation to a local licensee. Co-founder Jerry Greenfield left the company in September after nearly 50 years, citing that Unilever had halted the brand's social activism and eroded its independence.
Overall, these moves reflect long-running tensions between Ben & Jerry's ability to pursue social activism while maintaining independence from its parent company.
