"Business as Unusual" with fmr. Ben & Jerry’s CEO David Stever
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) Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode. Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities. Subscribe to How I Hire : Apple Spotify Amazon