Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink steps down amid struggling beer sales — Here’s what you need to know
Dutch brewer Heineken NV announced on Monday, January 12, 2026, that the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dolf van den Brink has resigned from his position after leading the global giant for six years, according to a press release.
According to the official statement from the Heineken board of directors, Dolf van den Brink will leave his position on May 31, 2026.
Dolf van den Brink said in his official statement: “As the Company prepares for the next phase of its EverGreen strategy, I believe this is the right moment for the leadership transition. The past years have been marked by significant changes as HEINEKEN progresses through its transformation and has now reached a stage where a transition in leadership will best serve the Company to further fulfill its long-term objectives.”
According to the agency’s report BloombergThe CEO’s move to resign comes months after the brewer issued a profitability warning amid falling beer sales in the market.
Who will be the new CEO?
Heineken also announced that the company will initiate a process to find Dolf van den Brink’s successor, and that even after he leaves office, the executive will continue to serve as an advisor for eight months from June 1, 2026.
“To ensure that the Company has full access to Dolf’s industry experience and deep HEINEKEN knowledge, Dolf has agreed to remain with the Company in an advisory capacity for a period of eight months, starting June 1, 2026,” the company said.
The company will now focus on the succession process to ensure strong leadership for the future.
“The next phase will focus on delivering on this strategy through the disciplined implementation of our strategic growth objectives. With this in mind, the Supervisory Board agrees that this is the right time to initiate the succession process to secure strong leadership for the future,” said Peter Wennink, Chairman of the Board of Heineken.
Warning from Heineken
According to the agency report, Heineken warned investors in October 2025 that annual profits would be lower than expected due to weak growth in the European and American markets. This is an issue that has been affecting the global beer industry for some time as consumer drinking trends change.
Heineken said its expected adjusted operating profit growth for the current financial year is expected to be at the lower end of its previously forecast range of 4% to 8%.
The company also reportedly announced that they expect volumes to decline modestly, despite previously saying they would remain stable.
Beer maker Heineken, which also makes brands such as Tecate and Amstel, said at the capital markets day in October that it plans to focus its growth efforts on 17 key markets and invest in some of its brands.
(With agency input from Bloomberg.)
