Exclusive-Ben & Jerry's board chair does not plan to resign as pressure mounts from Unilever unit

By Jessica DiNapoli

NEW YORK, Dec 7 (Reuters) - The seat of Ben & Jerry's autarkic committee said she has nary plans to resign arsenic Unilever pressures her up of Monday's nationalist spinoff of its Magnum crystal ​cream division, which volition see the Vermont-based brand.

Magnum, a longtime part of the user goods conglomerate, said ‌last period that the chair, Anuradha Mittal, "no longer meets the criteria" to service aft interior investigations, without providing further details.

Magnum volition database publically connected Euronext ‌on Monday, and is inheriting a deepening firm feud betwixt Unilever and Ben & Jerry's, stemming from the politically progressive brand's stance connected the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

An audit of the abstracted Ben & Jerry's Foundation, a U.S.-based non-profit wherever Mittal is besides a trustee, recovered deficiencies successful fiscal controls and governance. Mittal has been the seat of Ben & Jerry's autarkic committee since 2018, according to ⁠her LinkedIn profile, and a trustee of ‌the instauration since 2012, according to its website.

ATTEMPT TO 'UNDERMINE' THE BOARD

"The alleged audit of the instauration was a manufactured enquiry — engineered to effort to discredit me," Mittal said successful her statement, ‍saying she volition not resign. "It is important to recognize that this is not simply an onslaught connected maine arsenic chair. It is Unilever’s effort to undermine the authorization of the Board itself."

Mittal said she is carrying retired her relation arsenic seat with respect for the ​social ngo and merchandise prime responsibilities fixed to the committee successful Ben & Jerry's 2000 merger statement with Unilever.

Magnum, on ‌with Unilever, did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

As a standalone unit, Magnum volition bid astir one-fifth of the planetary crystal pick market. The institution has warned successful securities filings that actions by Ben & Jerry's could effect successful reputational damage, boycotts oregon capitalist claims.

The Ben & Jerry's autarkic committee is aimed astatine preserving the brand's societal mission, portion the foundation, a abstracted U.S.-based non-profit, receives millions successful contributions solely from the institution based connected however overmuch of the premium crystal ⁠cream is sold.

YEARS OF CLASHES

The committee has sued Unilever doubly successful caller ​years, astir precocious accusing its firm genitor of censoring it implicit ​statements it wanted to marque connected Gaza. Unilever has said the marque has evolved into one-sided advocacy connected polarizing topics.

In a abstracted statement, the foundation's committee of trustees said it has been told ‍that the audit's "central unresolved contented is ⁠Unilever/Magnum’s request that Anuradha Mittal ... beryllium removed arsenic a Foundation trustee."