The ousted chair of Ben & Jerry’s, Anuradha Mittal, has accused Magnum Ice Cream Company, the brand’s new owner, of threatening a public smear campaign against her unless she resigned. After an investigation, Magnum determined Mittal was unfit to serve on the board. This conflict stems from rising tensions over the board’s independence and its commitment to social activism.
Mittal claimed Magnum executives threatened her with defamatory comments in a prospectus if she did not step down, also offering her a lucrative position in a Unilever-funded nonprofit, which she declined as “inappropriate.” She highlighted ongoing friction regarding the company’s social mission, which has been a contentious issue since Ben & Jerry’s was sold to Unilever in 2000.
In October 2021, the brand made headlines for refusing to sell products in Israeli-occupied territories, leading to Unilever selling its Israeli operations to a local licensee. Following Mittal’s dismissal, Magnum announced changes to board governance and cited financial mismanagement issues within the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation.
Mittal, who leads the Oakland Institute focusing on human rights, described Magnum’s actions as a “public smear campaign” and claimed the allegations against her were unfounded. Founders Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen have expressed concerns over the brand’s diminishing commitment to its social mission, with Cohen labeling Magnum as “unfit” to own the company. A Magnum spokesperson stated their actions aim to preserve the brand’s social mission and integrity.
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