Unilever appoints new Ben & Jerry's CEO as battle over board's lefty politics heats up

Group 1: Leadership Changes - Unilever has appointed Jochanan Senf as the new CEO of Ben & Jerry's, following the abrupt firing of former CEO David Stever [1][4] - The independent board of Ben & Jerry's, which oversees the company's social activism, accused Unilever of improperly terminating Stever [2][9] Group 2: Board Dynamics - The independent board was not allowed to participate in the selection process for Stever's replacement, as stipulated in the acquisition agreement from 2000 [3] - Unilever claimed that the board declined to engage in the appointment process, despite being offered the opportunity to do so [6][7] Group 3: Corporate Strategy - Unilever plans to spin off its ice cream unit, including Ben & Jerry's, and rename it the Magnum Ice Cream Company, with plans for a separate listing in the Netherlands [10][12] - Despite the spin-off, Unilever has stated it has no intention of selling Ben & Jerry's, countering a bid from the brand's founders [11]