Finance
Exclusive-Unilever proposes Peter ter Kulve as CEO of ice cream spin-off
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 17, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 17, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Unilever proposes Peter ter Kulve as CEO of its ice cream division, with TMICC board approval expected ahead of an Amsterdam listing.
By Jessica DiNapoli and Richa Naidu
NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) -Unilever has named its preferred candidate to lead the group's soon-to-be listed ice cream division, proposing Peter ter Kulve, who has previously faced criticism from the board of its Ben & Jerry's business.
Ter Kulve, who is president of The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC), is expected to receive TMICC board approval next month for his appointment as CEO, said a spokesperson for parent Unilever, ahead of a planned Amsterdam listing this year.
TMICC is home to six of the world's top 10 ice cream brands, including Ben & Jerry's, which has been publicly at odds with ter Kulve and its parent company in recent years.
Representatives for Ben & Jerry's and its independent board did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Unilever did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the implications of ter Kulve's proposed appointment.
Ben & Jerry's was acquired by Unilever in 2000 for $326 million in a deal that included a unique clause allowing the brand to maintain its own independent board of directors with authority over its social mission while Unilever controlled operational and financial decisions.
The acrimonious relationship between the Ben & Jerry's board and ter Kulve, who has headed Unilever's ice cream business since 2024, included him being named in a November lawsuit that accused Unilever of silencing attempts by Ben & Jerry's to express support for Palestinian refugees and end military aid to Israel.
($1 = 0.8655 euros)
(Reporting by Richa NaiduEditing by Louise Heavens and David Goodman)
Unilever has proposed Peter ter Kulve as the CEO of its soon-to-be-listed ice cream division.
TMICC, or The Magnum Ice Cream Company, is home to six of the world's top 10 ice cream brands, including Ben & Jerry's.
Peter ter Kulve has faced criticism, particularly from Ben & Jerry's, which has had a contentious relationship with him and Unilever.
Ben & Jerry's was acquired by Unilever in 2000 for $326 million, with a unique clause allowing it to maintain an independent board.
Peter ter Kulve is expected to receive board approval for his appointment as CEO next month.
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