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Heineken has confirmed that its Chief Executive Officer, Dolf van den Brink, will step down on May 31, 2026, ending a six-year run at the helm of the global brewing company.

The announcement was made in a company statement released on Monday, triggering an immediate reaction from the market.

Following the disclosure, Heineken shares fell by as much as 3.2% in early trading in Amsterdam, marking the company’s sharpest single-day drop since July. 

The decline reflects growing investor unease as the brewer struggles with slowing beer sales and underperformance against rivals.

In its statement, Heineken praised van den Brink’s leadership, noting that he guided the company through a period marked by economic uncertainty and political disruptions.

The company said the decision was reached after discussions with the Supervisory Board, adding that the timing aligns with the rollout of its EverGreen Strategy 2030, which is now firmly in place.

Van den Brink, 52, will not leave immediately. He is expected to remain in an advisory role for eight months after stepping down, offering strategic guidance based on his long experience in the brewing industry.

Heineken’s Supervisory Board has confirmed that a formal process to appoint a successor is underway. While respecting the CEO’s decision, the board emphasized that his continued advisory support would help ensure a smooth transition.

The leadership change comes at a difficult time for Heineken. The company recently warned that annual profit would miss earlier expectations, citing weaker growth in Europe and the Americas.

Shifting consumer preferences, inflation-driven cost pressures, and softer demand across the global beer market have all weighed on performance. 

Heineken now expects adjusted operating profit growth to land at the lower end of its 4% to 8% forecast range, alongside a slight drop in sales volumes.

In Nigeria, Heineken’s subsidiary Nigerian Breweries Plc posted mixed results for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.

The brewer reported a pretax profit of ₦129.4 billion, a strong turnaround from the ₦202.9 billion loss recorded during the same period in 2024. 

However, the third quarter told a different story, with a pretax loss of ₦2.7 billion, though significantly improved from the ₦86.6 billion loss in Q3 2024.

Revenue performance remained encouraging, as Q3 turnover rose by 33.38% to ₦308.2 billion, driven largely by higher sales of brewed products.