David Stever is the former CEO and CMO of beloved ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s. David started with the company back in the early 80’s, working as a tour guide at their factory in Waterbury, Vermont. Over time, David ascended within Ben & Jerry’s, helping to grow the then start-up into an iconic, multinational corporation. Over the course of his decades-long career there, David led marketing initiatives, drove massive brand growth, expanded global market share, and helped facilitate reinvention and product innovation, all while keeping Ben & Jerry’s social mission front and center. He joins Roy to discuss his journey from tour guide to C-Suite, the many learnings he took from founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the profound effect of pursuing a triple bottom line, and much more.

Highlights from our conversation include:

David’s initial interest in the ice cream industry and how it evolved into his career (1:32)
Working with Ben and Jerry in the early days (3:50)
Leadership lessons learned through periods of massive growth and scaling (6:13)
David’s strengths and keys to success as Ben & Jerry’s CMO (8:48)
What surprised him the most when he transitioned from CMO to CEO (13:48)
What it means to do “business as unusual” (15:29)
The influence of Ben & Jerry’s blend of activism and commerce on his leadership (18:12)
How David defines Ben & Jerry’s unique culture and how he helped sustain it through the years and through acquisition (20:26)
Successful hiring throughout Ben & Jerry’s different phases (22:48)
Qualities David sought in his top leadership team (27:40)
What he believes is often overlooked when assessing prospective talent (28:47)
David’s next chapter and what he’s most excited about in looking ahead (31:00)

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