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Ben & Jerry’s calls for independence post Unilever’s ice cream spin-off
Yahoo Finance· 2025-09-10 12:18
Core Viewpoint - The founders of Ben & Jerry's are urging Unilever to allow the ice cream brand to operate independently, expressing concerns over Unilever's failure to honor commitments made during the 2000 acquisition [1][3][7] Company Operations - Unilever plans to spin off its ice cream operations, creating a new entity called The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC), which will include Ben & Jerry's and other brands like Solero, Cornetto, Twister, and Carte D'Or, and will be listed on exchanges in London, Amsterdam, and New York [2] Founders' Concerns - Cohen and Greenfield assert that Unilever has not respected the autonomy promised in the 2000 takeover agreement, which allowed Ben & Jerry's to pursue its social mission [3][4] - The founders claim that their brand's voice has been suppressed by Unilever, particularly regarding social justice issues, which contradicts the original vision they had for the company [4] Legal Actions - Ben & Jerry's has taken legal action against Unilever, alleging that the company attempted to silence its social mission by ousting its CEO and restricting public criticism of political figures and issues [5] - The ice cream brand previously halted sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, leading to Unilever's sale of its operations in the region to mitigate diplomatic tensions [6] Future Outlook - The founders believe that Ben & Jerry's should not be part of a corporate entity that does not support its founding mission, indicating a desire for the brand to operate independently from Unilever's influence [7]
Magnum CEO dismisses Ben & Jerry's sale talk as listing nears
Yahoo Finance· 2025-09-10 09:28
Group 1 - Magnum CEO Peter ter Kulve emphasized that the company is not considering selling Ben & Jerry's and is focused on reclaiming market share and growing sales as it prepares for its spin-off from Unilever [1][3] - Unilever's ice cream business, which includes brands like Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Wall's, and Cornetto, is expected to hold over 20% of the approximately $88 billion global ice cream market, competing with rivals such as Nestle-backed Froneri [1] - The separation from Unilever has allowed Magnum to invest in supply chains, sales, and distribution, leading to a significant increase in market share last year [2] Group 2 - Unilever's CEO Fernando Fernandez is implementing changes to streamline management and enhance margins, with the company retaining less than 20% of the ice cream business post-listing [4] - The demerger will provide every Unilever shareholder with a relative stake in Magnum, which is expected to mitigate market volatility typically associated with an IPO [5] - Magnum's CFO Abhijit Bhattacharya stated that the split is beneficial for both Unilever and Magnum, allowing Unilever to focus its portfolio while giving Magnum the opportunity to improve margins [4][5]
联合利华副总裁:要在中国做“马拉松选手”
Core Viewpoint - Unilever's Vice President emphasizes the importance of long-term commitment in the Chinese market, likening the approach to that of a "marathon runner" due to the market's size, innovation, and stable policies [2] Group 1 - Nearly a hundred executives from multinational companies and leaders of international investment institutions have gathered in China for the 25th China International Investment and Trade Fair [2] - The Chinese market is characterized by its large scale, strong innovation capabilities, and stable policies, making it an attractive destination for investment [2] - Unilever aims to deepen its engagement in China, indicating a strategic focus on sustained growth and adaptation to local market conditions [2]
深耕中国丨联合利华副总裁:要在中国做“马拉松选手”
近百家跨国公司的高管和国际投资机构负责人来中国了!8日,第二十五届中国国际投资贸易洽谈会在厦门拉开帷 幕。联合利华副总裁曾锡文在接受央视新闻采访时表示,中国市场大、创新强、政策稳,要在中国做"马拉松选 手",持续在华深耕。 ...
Ben & Jerry's founders call for the brand to be ‘freed' from its owners
The Guardian· 2025-09-09 17:21
Core Viewpoint - The co-founders of Ben & Jerry's are advocating for the brand to be made independent from Unilever's plans to list its ice-cream business, expressing concerns over the erosion of the brand's founding values and social mission [1][2][3]. Group 1: Concerns Over Brand Independence - Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have called for Ben & Jerry's to be excluded from Unilever's upcoming stock market listing of its ice-cream division, The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) [1][2]. - The co-founders, despite having no financial interest or formal role, feel compelled to voice their concerns as individuals regarding the brand's future [2]. Group 2: Erosion of Founding Values - The co-founders express deep concern that commitments made to them, employees, and customers are being undermined, particularly regarding the brand's voice on social justice issues [3][5]. - They emphasize that the founding values of Ben & Jerry's are central to its identity and should not be compromised for convenience or political pressure [4]. Group 3: Legal and Operational Conflicts - Ben & Jerry's social mission board has taken legal action against Unilever, alleging attempts to suppress the brand's public statements supporting Palestinian refugees [6][7]. - Unilever has rejected these claims and stated its intention to defend its position vigorously, highlighting ongoing tensions between the two entities [8].
Ice cream giant Magnum lays out investor case as spin-off looms
Reuters· 2025-09-09 15:38
Unilever's Magnum-led ice cream unit, being spun off with a planned listing in November, laid out its wares to investors on Tuesday, promising faster growth, cost-cuts and new products as it prepares ... ...
Unilever (NYSE:UL) 2025 Capital Markets Day Transcript
2025-09-09 12:32
Unilever (NYSE:UL) 2025 Capital Markets Day September 09, 2025 07:30 AM ET Company ParticipantsMichèle Negen - Head of IR - Unilever Ice CreamPeter Ter Kulve - CEORonald Schellekens - CHRODavid Hayes - Managing DirectorCeline Pannuti - Managing DirectorJames Edwardes Jones - Managing DirectorSarah Simon - Managing DirectorOlivier Nicolaï - Head - Consumer Staples ResearchWarren Ackerman - MD & Head - EU Consumer Staples ResearchKarel Zoete - Head - Netherlands Equity ResearchVictoria Petrova - DirectorGerar ...
Unilever (NYSE:UL) 2025 Earnings Call Presentation
2025-09-09 11:30
Company Strategy and Performance - The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) is planning to complete its listing by mid-November 2025[2] - TMICC aims for average annual organic sales growth (OSG) of 3-5% from 2026 onwards[128, 412] - The company is implementing a €500 million productivity program to fuel growth and margin expansion[132, 421] - TMICC is targeting an average annual Adjusted EBITDA margin improvement of 40-60bps from 2026 onwards[384, 463] - The company projects free cash flow (FCF) of €08 billion – €1 billion in 2028 and 2029[384, 463] Market Overview - The global ice cream market is large, growing, and resilient, with a total market size of approximately €75 billion in 2024[17, 20] - The ice cream market is expected to continue to grow at approximately 3-4% per annum[20] - Digital Commerce (dCom) is growing at approximately 9% CAGR from 2024-2029[39] Regional Performance - In the Americas, TMICC is the 1 ice cream company with approximately €3 billion in 2024 revenue[58, 195] - In Europe & ANZ, TMICC has approximately €31 billion in 2024 revenue and approximately 31% market share[58, 278] - AMEA is the fastest-growing and most profitable region for TMICC, with approximately €2 billion in revenue and 11% market share[58, 348, 349] Financials - TMICC's revenue was EUR 79 billion and Adjusted EBITDA was EUR 13 billion in FY24[55] - TMICC's global retail market share is 21%[55]
Ben & Jerry’s cofounders push for independence as Unilever’s ice cream spinoff nears
Yahoo Finance· 2025-09-09 11:00
Core Viewpoint - The founders of Ben & Jerry's are advocating for the brand to operate independently from Unilever, arguing that the parent company has compromised its social mission and brand value [1][3]. Group 1: Founders' Concerns - Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield express that Unilever has not honored the original agreement made during the sale of Ben & Jerry's, particularly regarding the brand's ability to pursue its progressive social mission [2][3]. - The founders believe that Ben & Jerry's cannot thrive under Unilever's conglomerate structure, which they claim undermines the reasons customers support the brand [3][4]. Group 2: Recent Developments - Ben & Jerry's criticized Unilever for the dismissal of its CEO, alleging that the decision was influenced by the CEO's commitment to the brand's social mission rather than his performance [5]. - The brand claims it was excluded from the CEO appointment process, which Unilever has denied, asserting that it acted appropriately [5]. Group 3: Unilever's Position - A spokesperson for Magnum Ice Cream, part of Unilever, stated that Ben & Jerry's remains a valued part of the company and emphasized their commitment to the brand's unique three-part mission [6].
Unilever PLC (UL) Presents At Barclays 18th Annual Global Consumer Staples Conference 2025 Transcript
Seeking Alpha· 2025-09-03 23:41
Group 1 - The presentation is led by CEO Fernando Fernandez, who has held various executive roles within the company, including CFO and President [2] - The presentation aims to provide a snapshot of Unilever for American investors who may not be familiar with the company [2] - The company has completed significant organizational and portfolio changes over the last two years, which are now largely behind them [3] Group 2 - The CEO will outline his belief system to accelerate performance and the company's clear priorities regarding geographies, channels, categories, and segments [3]