Matthew McCarthy has been named chief executive officer of Ben & Jerry’s, a subsidiary of Unilever P.L.C.
Mr. McCarthy was most recently vice-president of North America foods for Unilever, a role he has held since February 2017. He began his career with Unilever in 1997 as the senior director of deodorants and men’s grooming business.
During his time at Unilever, Mr. McCarthy played a role in the Hellmann’s brand transitioning to using certified cage-free eggs in its mayonnaise, a project that was executed three years ahead of plan. He also committed Unilever’s Knorr brand to higher welfare standards for its chickens. Most recently, Mr. McCarthy and his team created Growing Roots, Unilever’s first organic snacking brand focused on supporting urban farming in underserved communities.
“We are delighted to welcome Matthew, who brings a wealth of commercial experience, along with rock-solid values and a courageous vision for the role businesses can and should play in the world,” said Anuradha Mittal, Ben & Jerry’s board of directors chairperson. “We look forward to working with him and to continuing our mission as a social justice company which just happens to make pretty good ice cream.”
Mr. McCarthy succeeds Jostein Solheim, who led Ben & Jerry’s for the past eight years. A 25-plus year Unilever veteran, Mr. Solheim has been promoted to executive vice-president of foods and refreshments at Unilever.
By Rebekah Schouten
Source: Food Business News
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