Newscasts - Heineken's CEO steps down as investors demand better results
12/01/2026 11:03
Click the following link to watch video: https://share.newscasts.refinitiv.com/link?entryId=1_dvzz26ci&referenceId=tag:reuters.com,2026:newsml_RW601812012026RP1_930&pageId=Newscasts Source: 'Reuters - Business videos' Description: Heineken said on Monday its CEO Dolf van den Brink would step down on May 31 after nearly six years of leading the Dutch brewer, as the industry battles to get drinkers buying more beer. Ciara Lee reports. Short Link: https://lseg.group/4qAkjEx Video Transcript: Heineken said on Monday its CEO, Dolf van den Brink, would step down on May 31 after nearly six years of leading the Dutch brewer. Van den Brink took over at the world's number two beer maker during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has worked through a turbulent period for the firm since taking over. It was marked first by the pandemic and then by huge cost inflation, as well as falling sales that have hurt margins, the company's share price and investor returns. Van den Brink has agreed to remain available as an adviser for eight months from June. He said now was the right moment for Heineken to appoint new leadership. The company set a new strategy covering the years until 2030 in October, but Heineken's shares fell almost 3% in early trade. Van den Brink is the latest in a string of consumer company CEOs to depart after a difficult few years for the sector. Consumer finances have come under strain from high costs of living. Brewers have struggled to sell more beer, with hopes of a sales revival repeatedly knocked off course by everything from bad weather to political uncertainty. Now there are worries around the emergence of weight-loss drugs that could hit food and drink sales, as well as shifting attitudes to drinking, especially among younger people.