CEO of Heineken N.V. to step down on 31 May 2026
Amsterdam, 12 January 2026 – Heineken N.V. today announced that CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board Dolf van den Brink has informed the Supervisory Board of his decision to step down from his position on 31 May 2026. After almost six years at the helm of HEINEKEN during which he has guided the Company through turbulent economic and political times, and with the EverGreen Strategy 2030 in place, Dolf has concluded, in consultation with the Supervisory Board, that this is the right time to hand over his responsibilities. The Supervisory Board respects Dolf’s decision and will now initiate a search process to appoint a successor. To ensure the Company has full access to Dolf’s industry experience and deep HEINEKEN knowledge, Dolf has agreed to remain available to the Company in an advisory capacity for a period of eight months, starting on 1 June 2026.
Dolf van den Brink, CEO of HEINEKEN, said:
“After six years as CEO and more than 28 years at HEINEKEN, I believe this is the right moment to transition leadership as the Company prepares for the next phase of the EverGreen strategy. The past years have been marked by significant change as HEINEKEN progressed through its transformation and has now reached a stage where a transition in leadership will best serve the Company in further executing its long-term ambitions. Over the coming months, I remain fully focused on disciplined execution of our strategy and to ensure a smooth transition.”
Peter Wennink, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of HEINEKEN, added:
“The Supervisory Board is grateful to Dolf for his leadership and long-standing commitment to HEINEKEN, including guiding the Company through a demanding period of transformation, delivering on EverGreen 2025 while navigating a challenging external environment. With the launch of EverGreen 2030, Dolf has set out a compelling strategy for the future of HEINEKEN, and the Supervisory Board greatly values his contribution. The next phase will focus on bringing this strategy to life through disciplined execution of our strategic growth ambitions. With this in mind, the Supervisory Board agrees this is the right moment to start the succession process to secure strong leadership for the future.”
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About HEINEKEN
HEINEKEN is the world’s pioneering beer company. We are the leading developer and marketer of premium and non-alcoholic beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken® brand, we have a portfolio of more than 340 international, regional, local, and specialty beers and ciders. With HEINEKEN’s over 85,000 employees, we brew the joy of true togetherness to inspire a better world. Our dream is to shape the future of beer and beyond to win the hearts of consumers. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution, and focused cost management. Through “Brew a Better World”, sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We operate breweries, malteries, cider plants, and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Most recent information is available on our Company’s website, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
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Disclaimer:
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations and assumptions with regard to the financial position and results of HEINEKEN’s activities, anticipated developments and other factors. All statements other than statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also include, but are not limited to, statements and information in HEINEKEN’s non-financial reporting, such as HEINEKEN’s emission reduction and other climate change related matters (including actions, potential impacts and risks associated therewith). These forward-looking statements are identified by use of terms and phrases such as “aim”, “ambition”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “goals”, “intend”, “may”, “milestones”, “objectives”, “outlook”, “plan”, “probably”, “project”, “risks”, “schedule”, “seek”, “should”, “target”, “will” and similar terms and phrases. These forward-looking statements, while based on management’s current expectations and assumptions, are not guarantees of future performance since they are subject to numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may change over time, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond HEINEKEN’s ability to control or estimate precisely, such as but not limited to future market and economic conditions, the behaviour of other market participants, changes in consumer preferences, the ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and achieve anticipated synergies, costs of raw materials and other goods and services, interest-rate and exchange-rate fluctuations, changes in tax rates, changes in law, environmental and physical risks, change in pension costs, the actions of government regulators and weather conditions. These and other risk factors are detailed in HEINEKEN’s publicly filed annual reports. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only of the date of this press release. HEINEKEN assumes no duty to and does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Market share estimates contained in this press release are based on external sources, such as specialised research institutes, in combination with management estimates. HEINEKEN undertakes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such external sources.
- Press Release – CEO of Heineken N.V. to step down on 31 May 2026
- Dolf van den Brink