Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Appoints Former Ben & Jerry's Chief to Its CEO Role
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has appointed David Stever to be its chief executive officer and lead the next phase of growth and national expansion.
Stever brings more than 25 years of CPG leadership experience to the role, including time spent as CEO and CMO of Ben & Jerry’s, where he strengthened the brand, expanded innovation and increased its global relevance while leading it through transformative growth. Stever was named CEO of Ben & Jerry's in May 2023, and was fired from the position in March 2025 at the direction of Ben & Jerry's then-parent company Unilever -- a move that led to a lawsuit filed by Ben & Jerry's against Unilever. Ben & Jerry's claimed Stever was fired because of the Vermont ice cream brand's vocal social mission and his support for that mission. Ben & Jerry's has since been spun off by Unilever and is part of The Magnum Ice Cream Co.
Back to Jeni’s: It continues to grow in both its ice cream shop operations as well as its retail ice cream sales, currently operating more than 90 scoop shops and selling its products in about 15,000 retail locations nationwide. Under Stever’s leadership, the company says it will continue to invest in breakthrough flavor development, new product formats and expanded consumer experiences.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.