Appointment rocks the boat at Ben & Jerry’s

Yves Couette, a Unilever ice cream professional, was last week appointed chief executive officer at Ben & Jerry’s Homemade. Couette replaces Perry Odak who will remain with the company until January 2001.

Not everybody is happy with the appointment, however. Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are disappointed, having favoured a longtime member of the board of directors for the position. “We strongly supported a different candidate whose commitment to our social policies was clear and established. As owner, Unilever has the right to manage Ben & Jerry’s in the way it sees fit. We have not decided whether or not to remain with the company,” they said.

Couette maintains he is dedicated to the company’s renowned social ideals. “The challenge is to grow while enhancing further the personality and values of the brand as Ben & Jerry’s becomes an international business,” he said.

Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in August this year for $326 million (384 million euro).