Heineken board taps JDE Peet’s exec. Rafa Oliveira as new CEO
Heineken’s supervisory board has nominated Rafa Oliveira to be the beer giant’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the brewer announced on Tuesday. Should shareholders approve the nomination, the current director of JDE Peet’s will take over at Heineken on October 1, succeeding Dolf van den Brink, who unexpectedly announced his resignation in January.
By breaking tradition and nominating someone from outside the company for its top job, Heineken is giving heed to several shareholders who pushed for appointing someone with a “fresh pair of eyes” to help turn the company around. The brewer has been facing challenging market conditions and declining sales for some time, though it still booked a profit of €1.9 billion last year. In February, Heineken announced another round of cost-saving measures, including cutting up to 6,000 jobs in the next two years.
Heineken described Oliveira as a “highly accomplished international consumer goods leader,” who brings over 20 years of experience in “transformational leadership” across both developed and emerging markets. According to the supervisory board, Oliveira will bring “a fresh perspective that is expected to invigorate Heineken and inspire and lead the current Executive Team.”
“We are delighted to welcome Rafa to Heieken. He is a dynamic, visionary leader with an exceptional track record of leading global consumer businesses and delivering transformational growth,” said Peter Wennink, chair of Heineken’s Supervisory Board. “Throughout his career, Rafa has consistently transformed complex challenges into clear organisational priorities, aligning teams around what matters most, and driving disciplined execution of strategy. He combines strategic clarity with operational rigour and strong people leadership to deliver superior results.”
Heineken owner Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken said that the family was pleased with Oliveira’s nomination. “We believe Rafa’s proven ability to translate strategy into disciplined execution, his strong people leadership, and his clear strategic vision are the qualities needed to become an excellent Heineken CEO.”
Oliveira said that he was honored by the nomination, describing Heineken as one of the world’s most iconic companies. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this great company into its next chapter.”
Shareholders will vote on the nomination at an extraordinary general meeting on August 5. If they approve, Oliveira will take over as Heineken’s CEO on October 1.
