Ben & Jerry’s co-founder explains partner’s exit from ice cream company

Company Leadership & Values - Co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving Ben & Jerry's due to political differences with parent company Unilever [1] - Jerry felt the values of Ben & Jerry's are being suppressed by Unilever and Magnum [1] - Ben Cohen will remain with the company to fight for its values and social mission [1] Business Strategy & Conflict - Ben & Jerry's seeks to be owned by socially aligned investors [1] - Unilever is allegedly not respecting the authority of the independent board and the terms of the acquisition agreement [1] - Ben & Jerry's requested Unilever carve them out during the spin-off of the entire ice cream division, but Unilever refused [1] - Ben & Jerry's is making the conflict public to gain customer support in freeing the company to continue its social mission [1] Social Activism & Controversy - Magnum has allegedly muzzled Ben & Jerry's on issues like the conflict in Gaza, freedom of speech, and diversity, equity, and inclusion [3] - Magnum's actions are seen as conflicting with their statement about constructive conversation on values [3] Future Prospects - Starting another ice cream company is unlikely due to the co-founders' age [8] - Ben & Jerry's is a billion-dollar company worth saving [8] - The company has demonstrated that humanistic values and profitability can coexist [9]