After six years of leadership, Dolf van den Brink has determined that it is the ‘right time’ to step down, officially leaving his position on 31 May.
Brink initiated his career at Heineken in 1998, starting as a commercial management trainee handling customer complaints. Over nearly three decades, he ascended the corporate hierarchy, serving as commercial director at Bralima and later as president and CEO of Heineken USA.
Throughout his tenure, Brink successfully navigated the company through challenging political and economic environments. Notably, he was at the forefront when Heineken launched the EverGreen strategy in 2021, designed to future-proof the organization in response to the aftermath of the Covid pandemic.
The EverGreen roadmap is grounded in a value creation model that seeks to align growth, profit, and capital with sustainability and responsibility, which are increasingly crucial trends in the food and drink industry.
Now that the next phase—EverGreen Strategy 2030—is underway, Brink feels it is a suitable time for leadership transition. In an emotional LinkedIn post, he expressed that making the decision to leave was one of the toughest choices of his career.
Leading Heineken has been the greatest privilege of my career and this decision was one of the hardest I’ve made in my life.
Heineken outgoing CEO, Dolf van den Brink
Nevertheless, his departure coincides with what the company has termed a “challenging quarter,” as its Q3 2025 results indicate declining volumes. These declines were partially mitigated by favorable pricing, premium brands, and the company’s diverse geographical presence.
Share prices have also experienced a downturn, with the company’s operating profit for the first half of the year falling below expectations set by analysts.
“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. Over the coming months, I remain fully focused on disciplined execution of our strategy and to ensure a smooth transition,” Brink commented.
Peter Wennink, chairman of Heineken’s supervisory board, remarked: “The supervisory board is grateful to Dolf for his leadership and long-standing commitment to Heineken, including guiding the company through a demanding period of transformation, delivering on EverGreen 2025 while navigating a challenging external environment.”
“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.”
In his LinkedIn post, Brink expressed that after dedicating his career to Heineken, he looks forward to a “personal reset” as he prepares for his next steps.
He will remain accessible to the company for advisory purposes over the next eight months, starting from 1 June.
