In Amsterdam, Heineken is celebrating the appointment of Rafael Oliveira as its new CEO
The challenge will be to boost sales volumes, despite falling global demand for beer, and to catch up with the returns offered to investors by its rival, Anheuser-Busch InBev
(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Heineken is celebrating the appointment of Rafael Oliveira as its new CEO. The Dutch brewer has, in fact, gained around three points on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange on hopes that the change at the top will help revitalise the brand. Specifically, Oliveira will take up his post on 1 October, with a term expected to last four years. His appointment brings an end to a prolonged period of uncertainty for Heineken, which had effectively been without a CEO since May. In January, former CEO Dolf van den Brink, after almost six years at the helm of the group, had announced his intention to leave the company.
Oliveira’s challenge now will be to boost sales volumes, despite falling global demand for beer, and to catch up with the returns offered to investors by rival Anheuser-Busch InBev (+1.58% in Brussels). However, the new CEO will also have to implement the cost-cutting plan announced in February, which involves cutting 6,000 jobs over the next two years (Heineken employs a total of 87,000 people worldwide).
On the other hand, according to a statement issued by the company, Oliveira is the right man to tackle these challenges and was chosen “unanimously” for “his unique combination of strategic vision, operational expertise and financial acumen”. The new CEO has, in fact, two decades’ experience in “transformational leadership” in both developed and emerging markets, as well as a proven track record in driving targeted strategies and improving performance. Before joining Heineken, Oliveira was president of international markets at Kraft Heinz. He then spent two years leading the JDE Peet’s group, which specialises in coffee and tea, before being appointed to head the global coffee division following Keurig Dr Pepper’s 18 billion acquisition of the group.
"I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead this great company into its next chapter," said Oliveira in a statement, adding that the 2030 strategy provides a solid platform for the future. “I am confident that we will accelerate growth, boost productivity and prepare Heineken for the future,” he concluded, “by winning the hearts of consumers around the world.” “With Rafa at the helm,” said Peter Wennink, chairman of Heineken’s supervisory board, “we look forward to building on Heineken’s solid foundations and continuing our path of balanced, long-term growth.”
