Overview
- Heineken said van den Brink will leave the top job at the end of May 2026 and serve as an adviser for eight months starting June 1 as the Supervisory Board begins a formal search for his successor.
- The company’s October update guided to profit growth at the lower end of its range and signaled modest volume declines as it rolled out the EverGreen 2030 plan focused on 17 priority markets.
- Shares fell about 4% after the announcement, and analysts noted the brewer has trailed AB InBev and Carlsberg on total shareholder returns with the stock down more than 25% over five years.
- Reuters analysis highlights priorities for the next chief: reignite beer-volume growth, improve cost efficiency and investor returns, and assess whether to streamline a large brewery footprint.
- Heineken has been restructuring, including 400 headquarters job cuts and a multiyear digital program announced in October, alongside recent portfolio moves such as a $3.2 billion Central America deal.