Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink to step down at the end of May

Dolf van den Brink will step down as CEO of Heineken on May 31, 2026, the Dutch beer giant announced on Monday. After nearly six years of leading Heineken, Van den Brink decided that this was “the right time to hand over his responsibilities.” Heineken has started the process of appointing a successor.

Van den Brink decided to step down as his EverGreen Strategy 2025, aimed at futureproofing the massive beer brewer, comes to a close, and before the 2030 strategy starts. After stepping down as CEO, Van den Brink will remain with Heineken in an advisory role for eight more months.

“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,” Van den Brink said.

Heineken’s supervisory board thanked Van den Brink for his “leadership and long-standing commitment” through turbulent economic and political times. “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,” said Peter Wennink, chairman of the supervisory board. “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.”

Heineken has the equivalent of 88,500 full-time employees, including 3,700 in the Netherlands. Van den Brink took over as CEO on 1 June 2020, after leading Heineken’s activities in Asia for many years. In total, Van den Brink has worked for the brewer for 28 years.