Three members of Ben & Jerry’s independent board will no longer be eligible to serve after the company introduced new governance practices, including a nine-year limit on board terms, a move that has drawn criticism from the ice cream maker’s co-founder.
Governance Changes Affect Board Leadership
The new rules include a cap on how long board members can serve. Chair Anuradha Mittal is among those affected, despite previously saying she had no plans to step down. The BBC understands that Mittal will leave the company immediately, while board members Daryn Dodson and Jennifer Henderson are expected to depart at the end of the year.
Ben & Jerry’s said the changes are intended “to preserve and enhance the brand’s historical social mission and safeguard its essential integrity.”
Co-Founder Criticises the Move
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen criticised the governance changes, describing them as a “blatant power grab designed to strip the board of legal authority and independence.”
Cohen said Mittal, Dodson, and Henderson had served the company with “integrity and courage,” adding that they helped guide the board through difficult decisions aimed at upholding the brand’s social mission.
Ownership Structure and Corporate Context
Ben & Jerry’s is now owned by The Magnum Ice Cream Company, following a spinoff from Unilever last week that created what the companies describe as the world’s largest standalone ice cream business.
A spokesperson for Magnum said the company aims to build and strengthen Ben & Jerry’s “powerful, non-partisan values-based position.” Cohen told the BBC that he believes the brand would be damaged if it remains under Magnum’s ownership.
Longstanding Dispute Over Independence
Ben & Jerry’s was sold to Unilever in 2000 under an agreement that allowed the brand to retain an independent board and control over decisions related to its social mission. Since then, tensions have grown between the brand and its parent company, a conflict now inherited by Magnum.
In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s stopped selling its products in Israeli-occupied territories, leading Unilever to sell the brand’s Israeli business to a local licensee.
Recent Departures and Ongoing Tensions
Co-founder Jerry Greenfield left Ben & Jerry’s in September after nearly 50 years at the company. In a letter shared on social media by Cohen, Greenfield said the brand had lost its independence after Unilever restricted its social activism.
The governance changes mark the latest development in the dispute over the future direction and independence of the Ben & Jerry’s brand.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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