Ben & Jerry's new CEO to double down on social activism

Ben & Jerry's new CEO Matthew McCarthy, who helms the Unilever-owned ice cream maker, is challenging the company to "double its social impact," according to WAMC.

Mr. McCarthy, a marketing executive who worked for Unilever for 21 years, took the reins from Jostein Solheim July 1. Mr. Solheim was CEO of Ben & Jerry's for eight years. At Unilever, Mr. McCarthy led other brands toward socially conscious standards, such as using certified cage-free eggs in Hellman's mayonnaise.

As Ben & Jerry's CEO, Mr. McCarthy wants to increase corporate activism at the maker of Chunky Monkey and John Lennon tribute ice cream "Imagine Whirled Peace." His mission, which builds on years of social activism at the company, comes as Ben & Jerry's has expanded to vegan and lower-calorie ice creams, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"Many people are feeling a tremendous lack of trust in [public] institutions around them," Mr. McCarthy told WSJ. "We need organizations, including businesses, to step forward more than ever."

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