New CEO to lead HEINEKEN Hungária

A new top manager will lead HEINEKEN Hungária Brewery Co. as of 1^st October 2021. The Dutch national Geert Swaanenburg will be succeeded by Nikos Zois from Greece in the position of Managing Director. 

Swaanenburg, who was appointed to lead the Hungarian subsidiary in November 2018, will continue his career in Berlin as the Managing Director of HEINEKEN Germany.

“In Hungary I have found a new home, made many great friends, and had wonderful experiences, thus I had mixed feelings when accepting this new and honourable assignment. HEINEKEN sees Germany as a highly important market with significant opportunities for our excellent global portfolio, and one with many exciting challenges ahead of it. On the other hand, I feel sorry to leave HEINEKEN’s Hungarian team. The company is currently in great shape. We have managed to reach a market leading position in the last few years and not only our brand portfolio is stable, but the satisfaction of our colleagues and external partners is also increasing steadily“- Mr Swaanenburg said in his farewell to HEINEKEN Hungária.  

“With Nikos, the company will get a strong and supportive leader who has been a member of the HEINEKEN family for a long time. He is an extremely experienced colleague, committed to good causes. I wish him the greatest success!” 

the outgoing CEO added.

Nikos Zois has been a member of the HEINEKEN team for 30 years. He has worked as the general manager of the subsidiary in Serbia since 2019 and lead operations in Bulgaria for two years prior to that. He has been a top team member since 2010, when he was appointed Sales Director of HEINEKEN Greece. He had held various managerial positions in sales beforehand.

The new CEO will oversee the execution of the EVERGREEN strategy and aims to further increase the market share of HEINEKEN in the premium category in Hungary. He will keep a close eye on the changes in consumer demands, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability in operations. Likewise, Mrs Zois places a high priority on maintaining the commitment and motivation of colleagues highly important.

“It is an honour for me to have been appointed CEO of HEINEKEN Hungária. I feel enthusiastic about my new assignment in a country with a long history and very dynamic beer market. I am committed to maintaining the strategy of growth my predecessors have laid down and to pursuing continuous improvements. I want the Hungarian operation to be a role model in the country as well as for the whole company group in terms of consumer choices, efficiency of work processes and employee development and satisfaction. In line with these goals, our vision of success includes strengthening the company’s role in generating value for the Hungarian economy, the environment and society as a whole, so that HEINEKEN Hungária can further enhance its position as a top employer in Hungary” 

said Mr Zois, who added that he sees great opportunities in the Hungarian market, where HEINEKEN has already had achieved a very strong position.