Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Threatens to Quit

Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc., said he will quit the ice cream company unless its new corporate parent Unilever names a co-chief executive steeped in the company’s social mission. Unilever rejected the CEO candidate Cohen and co-founder Jerry Greenfield backed for the top spot at the South Burlington, Vt.-based ice cream maker. Cohen and Greenfield still are employed by the company, but they are not involved in its day-to-day operations. Unilever spokesman Steve Milton said the company is dedicated to ensuring Ben & Jerry’s brand name and delivering on social commitments such as contributing 7.5% of pretax profits to philanthropy.