Ben & Jerry’s appoints three new independent board directors

Ben & Jerry’s has appointed three new independent directors to its board to strengthen its governance model and protect its social mission. The new appointees, Nora Benavidez, Michael McAfee, and Eva Schulte, joined the board this month as I Class Directors.

The appointments aim to bolster the company’s three-part mission of balancing product quality, financial growth, and social impact. The new directors bring expertise in areas including civil rights, economic equity, environmental justice, and free speech. Nora Benavidez, for instance, joins from Free Press, where she serves as senior counsel and director of digital justice and civil rights.

This restructuring follows a period of governance disputes between Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company, The Magnum Ice Cream Company (formerly part of Unilever). The brand has previously clashed with its parent organizations over issues of political censorship and the ability to engage in social activism. The move also follows changes to board eligibility, as The Magnum Ice Cream Company established a nine-year term limit for directors.