Dolf van den Brink, CEO of Heineken, who has led the Dutch beer giant since the summer of 2020, will step down on May 31. The announcement goes beyond a simple personnel change: it is a clear signal to the market that the company is looking for new momentum while the global beer market is operating in a persistently unfavorable environment. For Heineken, the key question in the coming period will be whether its 2030 strategy can truly reverse the declining sales trend and restore investor confidence.
Van den Brink took over the company in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, under extraordinary circumstances. Disruptions in supply chains, the shutdown of hospitality, followed by an inflationary environment and a slowdown in consumer spending have kept the entire FMCG sector, especially the alcoholic beverages market, under constant pressure. According to Heineken’s management, the company has now reached the point where a change of leadership can best help achieve its long-term goals.
The outgoing CEO will continue to support the company’s work as an advisor for eight months, while the board of directors begins the selection of a successor. This indicates that the company considers continuity and a controlled transition to be a priority at a time when it has reached a strategic turning point.
The expected turnaround did not come
In October, Heineken presented its new strategy until 2030, which focuses on further strengthening the premium segment, improving efficiency and increasing profitability. Investors generally welcomed the updated direction, but most analysts indicated that a strategic document alone is not enough, and the market expects tangible results.
The company has been criticized for years for failing to meet its own forecasts. It closed 2025 in the red in terms of sales volume, and warned its investors for the second time that demand was weaker than expected. The premium product model has not yet brought the breakthrough that management had hoped for.
According to James Edwardes Jones, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, Van den Brink “came with high expectations, but Heineken has not lived up to them,” so it is possible that this is exactly the leadership change the company needs now. Many therefore see the management change not as a crisis response, but as a strategic repositioning.
The beer market is struggling with structural problems
Heineken’s situation is not unique. The entire beer industry is under pressure from several directions at once. High living costs are holding back consumption, and extreme weather and political uncertainty make demand unpredictable. In addition, longer-term, structural changes are also taking place:
