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Heineken has appointed Romain Apert as its new chief digital and technology officer (CDTO) and member of the executive team, effective 15 May 2026.
Apert joins the global brewer from F&B giant Mars, where he currently serves as chief information officer for Mars Petcare.
He will succeed Ronald den Elzen, who is stepping down after a 31-year career with the company. Den Elzen signalled his intention last year to pursue new career and learning opportunities, and has remained in post to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
Apert brings more than two decades of global technology and digital transformation experience within the food and consumer goods sector. During his tenure at Mars, he held multiple global CIO roles and most recently led a large-scale digitalisation strategy at Mars Petcare, spanning ERP modernisation, data infrastructure enhancement and capability building initiatives to drive growth and productivity.
His track record includes sponsoring AI-enabled diagnostics, scaling digital use cases across supply chain, commercial and consumer domains, and steering an ambitious ERP implementation programme. An engineering graduate of ECAM Lyon, Apert has worked extensively across Europe, the UK and the United States, partnering closely with senior business leaders to translate strategic priorities into operational technology outcomes.
Commenting on the appointment, Dolf van den Brink, chairman of the executive board and CEO of Heineken, said: “Romain joins Heineken with deep international experience leading large-scale digital transformation, data and technology strategy, and complex change across global businesses. He will partner across the executive team to further deploy our Digital Backbone and scale value from data and AI.”
He added that Apert’s blend of operational discipline, practical innovation and people-centred leadership makes him a strong cultural fit for the organisation.
Den Elzen’s departure marks the close of a career spanning five countries and six distinct functions across finance, commercial leadership, general management and digital transformation.
Since March 2020, he has served as Heineken’s first chief digital and technology officer, leading the establishment of core digital platforms, strengthening data and analytics capabilities, and enhancing cyber resilience across the business.
Prior to his CDTO role, Den Elzen held senior leadership positions, including managing director of Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas in Portugal and managing director of Heineken USA, following earlier finance and commercial roles in the Netherlands and the UK.
Van den Brink described den Elzen’s contribution as “extraordinary,” citing his deep institutional knowledge, cross-functional expertise and commitment to people development as central to Heineken’s progress over the past three decades.
