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Dolf van den Brink, CEO and chairman of the executive board at Heineken, will step down from his position on 31 May 2026.

The Dutch brewing giant revealed the news in a statement shared this morning (12 January 2026). Van den Brink will hand over his responsibilities to a successor, not yet appointed, after almost six years at the helm and more than 28 years with the company.

Heineken expressed gratitude to van den Brink for his leadership and commitment, praising him for guiding the company through ‘turbulent economic and political times’.

With the brewer’s EverGreen Strategy 2030 – aimed at future-proofing the business through sustainability, digital transformation and innovation – now in place, van den Brink believes the time is right to transition leadership. In a statement shared on LinkedIn, van den Brink said the decision was "one of the hardest I’ve made in my life," adding that he looks forward to "taking some time for a personal reset".

Heineken’s supervisory board will now initiate a search process for the new CEO. Van den Brink has agreed to remain available to the company in an advisory capacity for a period of eight months, beginning 1 June 2026.

Commenting on his departure, he said: “The past years have been marked by significant change as Heineken progressed through its transformation and has now reached a stage where a transition in leadership will best serve the company in further executing its long-term ambitions”.

He added: “Over the coming months, I remain fully focused on disciplined execution of our strategy and to ensure a smooth transition.”

Peter Wennink, chairman of the supervisory board of Heineken, commented: “With the launch of EverGreen 2030, Dolf has set out a compelling strategy for the future of Heineken, and the supervisory board greatly values his contribution”.

“The next phase will focus on bringing this strategy to life through disciplined execution of our strategic growth ambitions. With this in mind, the supervisory board agrees this is the right moment to start the succession process to secure strong leadership for the future.”