Heineken names Rafa Oliveira as CEO
Heineken has nominated Rafael (Rafa) Oliveira to become its new chief executive officer and chair of the executive board.
Oliveira is set to be appointed for a period of four years, effective from 1 October following a meeting with shareholders on 5 August and joins the Dutch brewer from coffee and tea company JDE Peet’s where he has held the role of CEO since 2024.
Experience across both developed and emerging markets
Following Keurig Dr Pepper’s acquisition of JDE Peet’s, Oliveira was appointed to lead Keurig Dr Pepper’s planned Global Coffee Co. (annual revenue ~US$16 billion), a new publicly traded business combining its coffee operations with JDE Peet’s.
Oliveira brings more than two decades of experience in leadership across both developed and emerging markets. Prior to JDE Peet’s, Oliveira spent a decade at The Kraft Heinz Company, rising to the role of president international markets and oversaw a portfolio across Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America valued at more than US$7 billion.
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‘A dynamic, visionary leader’
Speaking about the nomination, Peter Wennink, chair of the Heineken supervisory board, said: “We are delighted to welcome Rafa to Heineken. He is a dynamic, visionary leader with an exceptional track record of leading global consumer businesses and delivering transformational growth.”
Describing why Oliveira was a good fit for Heineken, Wennink explained: “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. He combines strategic clarity with operational rigour and strong people leadership to deliver superior results.”
‘Confident’
Wennink pointed out that the board is “confident” that Oliveira’s “energy and strategic acumen will accelerate the execution of the company’s EverGreen 2030 strategic agenda and create sustainable value for all our stakeholders”. He insisted: “With Rafa at the helm, we look forward to building on Heineken’s strong foundations and continuing our journey of long-term, balanced growth.”
Oliveira added that he is both “honoured and excited to join Heineken” and admitted he has been “a long-time admirer” of the company’s “heritage and global impact”.
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