Jerry Greenfield, the “Jerry” in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, is stepping away from the company he co-founded nearly five decades ago.
Greenfield announced his resignation after 47 years, citing a dispute with parent company Unilever, which acquired Ben & Jerry’s 25 years ago. He accused the multinational giant of silencing the brand’s long-standing tradition of speaking out on social causes.
For more than two decades, Greenfield and fellow co-founder Ben Cohen have used the ice cream brand as a platform to support peace, justice, and human rights. Greenfield says those efforts have been increasingly stifled under Unilever’s ownership.
Unilever has denied his accusations and rejected a request from Cohen and Greenfield to spin off Ben & Jerry’s so the company could once again operate independently.