Heineken N.V. announces that the General Meeting of Shareholders has approved the appointment of Rafael Oliveira, known as Rafa, as a member of the Executive Board. He will become its Chair and hold the position of Chief Executive Officer for a four-year term, effective 1 October 2026.
Rafael Oliveira joins Heineken from JDE Peet’s, the world’s largest pure-play coffee and tea company, where he had served as CEO since 2024. Following JDE Peet’s acquisition by Keurig Dr Pepper, he had also been designated to lead Global Coffee Co., the planned publicly listed entity bringing together the group’s coffee operations, with annual revenue of approximately $16 billion.
Before entering the consumer goods sector, Rafael Oliveira built most of his career in finance. He spent a decade at Goldman Sachs, between 2004 and 2014, where he notably served as Executive Director for Emerging Markets in Asia, based in Hong Kong. He began his career as an equity analyst in Brazil, at Banco Icatu and then Banco BBA Creditanstalt, in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. He then spent around ten years at The Kraft Heinz Company, where he rose to the position of President, International Markets, overseeing a portfolio spanning Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America, with revenue exceeding $7 billion.
Peter Wennink, Chairman of Heineken’s Supervisory Board, praised Rafael Oliveira as a dynamic, visionary leader, with a remarkable track record at the helm of major global consumer companies and a proven ability to turn complex challenges into clear organisational priorities. He noted that the Supervisory Board was confident in the new CEO’s ability to accelerate execution of the Group’s EverGreen 2030 strategy and create sustainable value for all its stakeholders.
Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, the Group’s Executive Director, said she was pleased with the rigorous, global selection process that led to Rafael Oliveira’s appointment, highlighting his ability to translate strategy into disciplined execution, his strong people-centred leadership and the clarity of his strategic vision as the qualities needed to become an excellent CEO for Heineken.
Rafael Oliveira said he was honoured and excited to join Heineken, expressing confidence in the Group’s ability to accelerate growth, strengthen productivity and prepare the company for the future, by continuing to win consumers around the world. He succeeds Dolf van den Brink, who stepped down at the end of May after nearly six years leading the Group and more than 28 years with Heineken.
At a Glance
Heineken N.V. — Executive Board – New appointment: Rafael “Rafa” Oliveira, Chair of the Executive Board & CEO – Term: 4 years, effective October 1, 2026 – Approved by: Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, August 5, 2026 – Significance: first CEO hired from outside Heineken’s internal ranks – Previous role: CEO, JDE Peet’s (since 2024); also tapped to lead Keurig Dr Pepper’s planned Global Coffee Co. – Prior career: ~10 years, The Kraft Heinz Company (President, International Markets); 10 years, Goldman Sachs – Succeeds: Dolf van den Brink (stepped down end of May 2026, after ~6 years as CEO) – Education: Economics, Pontifícia Universidade Católica (São Paulo); International MBA, University of Chicago
