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Heineken to Cut 5,000–6,000 Jobs, Lowers 2026 Profit Outlook

The brewer cites falling beer demand, shifting roles into centralized services powered by digitization and AI.

Overview

  • Reductions equal nearly 7% of the roughly 87,000-strong workforce, with cuts focused on Europe and markets the company views as lower priority.
  • Heineken targets €400–500 million in gross annual savings through a leaner operating model that includes consolidation across its supply network and headquarters.
  • Around 3,000 roles will move into Heineken Business Services as part of a push to standardize processes and capture productivity gains from new technology.
  • The company now guides organic operating profit growth of 2–6% for 2026 after reporting 2025 beer volumes down about 2.4% globally, with steeper declines in Europe and the Americas.
  • CEO Dolf van den Brink departs in May, with the board conducting a search for his successor as the two-year restructuring gets underway.