Heineken Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dolf van den Brink will step down from his position on May 31, 2026, marking the end of his six-year tenure.
This is according to a company statement on Monday.
The decision comes as the global brewing giant faces declining beer sales and a weaker performance compared to its competitors.
The announcement has raised concerns among investors, with Heineken’s stock falling by as much as 3.2% in early trading in Amsterdam.
What the statement is saying
In the statement released by Heineken, the company acknowledged van den Brink’s significant contributions over the past six years, during which he led the company through challenging economic and political landscapes.
“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.”
It further emphasized his leadership during turbulent times and noted that the company is now well-positioned with its 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 statement continued.
Van den Brink, 52, will remain with the company in an advisory capacity for eight months after his resignation to provide guidance based on his deep industry experience.
Heineken begins search for successor
Following the announcement, Heineken’s Supervisory Board expressed respect for van den Brink’s decision and confirmed that a search process would begin to find a successor.
The board emphasized that van den Brink’s expertise would continue to benefit the company as he remains in an advisory role after his official departure.
Despite the transition, Heineken’s shares took a significant hit, with a drop of up to 3.2% on the Amsterdam stock exchange, marking the biggest decline since July.
Heineken’s struggles amid shifting consumer trends
The resignation follows a challenging period for Heineken, which recently warned that its annual profit would fall short of expectations.
The company attributed weaker-than-expected growth in Europe and the Americas to broader trends affecting the global beer industry, including shifting consumer preferences and inflation-driven demand pressures.
Heineken also revised its projections for adjusted operating profit growth, expecting it to land at the lower end of the previously forecast range of 4% to 8%. Furthermore, the company anticipates a modest decline in volumes when it reports its full-year earnings next month.
What you should know
Heineken’s Nigerian subsidiary, Nigerian Breweries Plc, reported mixed financial results for the nine months ending September 30, 2025. The company posted a pretax profit of N129.4 billion, a significant recovery from the N202.9 billion loss recorded in the same period in 2024.
However, the third quarter of 2025 saw Nigerian Breweries recording a pretax loss of N2.7 billion, though this was a notable improvement from the N86.6 billion loss in Q3 2024.
On a positive note, the company saw strong net revenue performance, with Q3 turnover rising by 33.38% to N308.2 billion, driven by increased sales of brewed products.