Heineken appoints Rafael Oliveira as CEO
Former JDE Peet’s chief Rafael Oliveira will lead Heineken from October as the brewer advances its EverGreen 2030 strategy and strengthens growth across key markets.
NETHERLANDS – Dutch brewer Heineken has appointed Rafael Oliveira as its new chair and chief executive officer, marking the first time the company has selected an external candidate for the top role as alcohol makers seek to boost growth through leadership changes.
Oliveira, who has served as chief executive officer of Dutch coffee and tea company JDE Peet’s since 2024, will join the world’s second-largest brewer on October 1 for a four-year term. Heineken said it expects him to accelerate the implementation of its EverGreen 2030 strategy.
Oliveira will succeed Dolf van den Brink, who stepped down in May after leading the company for six years.
Van den Brink’s departure was announced in January, three months after Heineken unveiled its five-year EverGreen 2030 plan. Introduced in October, the strategy included restructuring measures affecting 400 positions at the company’s global headquarters in Amsterdam.
As part of the programme, the brewer said it would prioritise selected global and local brands across 17 markets over the next five years.
“Heineken’s EverGreen 2030 strategy provides a powerful platform for the future, and I look forward to building on that momentum while bringing my own passion for performance, innovation and consumer focus,” Oliveira said.
Heineken said the appointment was made unanimously by its supervisory board. Shareholders are scheduled to vote on the nomination during an extraordinary general meeting on August 5.
Peter Wennink, chairman of the Heineken supervisory board, said: “Throughout his career, Rafa has consistently transformed complex challenges into clear organisational priorities, aligning teams around what matters most, and driving disciplined execution of strategy.”
Before joining Heineken, Oliveira served as chief executive of JDE Peet’s. Last year, Keurig Dr Pepper announced plans to acquire JDE Peet’s and subsequently separate the combined business into two entities.
Under the proposal, Oliveira had been selected to lead Global Coffee Co., a new publicly traded company that would combine Keurig Dr Pepper’s coffee operations with those of JDE Peet’s.
Prior to JDE Peet’s, Oliveira was president of the international division at The Kraft Heinz Company. He joined the company in 2014 as chief executive of its Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea business.
Earlier in his career, he held several leadership positions at Goldman Sachs Group, including executive director of the securities division in the United Kingdom and the emerging markets division in Hong Kong.
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