Ben & Jerry's Chair Anuradha Mittal Faces Removal Amid Governance Shakeup Following Magnum Spin-off
Anuradha Mittal, who served as chair of Ben & Jerry's independent board for seven years, alleges that Magnum Ice Cream Company threatened to publish defamatory statements unless she resigned, and she has since received a letter notifying her removal. Magnum, which took ownership of Ben & Jerry's following a recent spin-off from Unilever, stated that Mittal no longer met the board's criteria after an investigation by an external advisor. The board plans to implement a nine-year limit for directors, resulting in Mittal and two other members stepping down.
An audit of the Ben & Jerry's Foundation revealed material deficiencies in financial controls, governance, and compliance policies, including conflicts of interest. Mittal described growing friction over the brand's independence, social mission, and integrity, alleging that there were attempts to silence advocates for human rights and peace.
Ben & Jerry's was owned by Unilever until the recent spin-off. Previously, the brand had experienced tensions with Unilever regarding its social mission, notably a 2021 decision to not sell products in Israel-occupied areas and a restriction on a Palestine-themed ice cream in October.
Magnum emphasized that its actions aim to strengthen corporate governance and protect the brand's social mission and integrity, reaffirming its commitment to the product, economic, and social objectives. Following the spin-off, Magnum became the world's largest ice cream maker, with brands including Cornetto, Wall's, and Carte D'Or. Meanwhile, co-founder Jerry Greenfield left the firm in September, and co-founder Ben Cohen has publicly criticized Magnum as unfit to own Ben & Jerry's.
