Heineken's Incoming CEO Faces Challenges in Reviving Beer Sales

Challenges Facing Heineken's New CEO

By Emma Rumney

LONDON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Whoever Heineken picks to replace CEO Dolf van den Brink from June will be tasked with delivering on a strategy set in October promising higher beer sales with fewer resources.

The world's second largest brewer behind Anheuser-Busch InBev announced van den Brink's resignation on Monday after six years as CEO as Heineken battles falling sales and discontent among investors who want proof it can deliver.

The Dutch maker of Tiger and Amstel alongside its namesake lager has launched a search for a new CEO.

Increasing Beer Sales

Here are some of the challenges they will face to placate investors and take on rivals, including AB Inbev and Carlsberg.

GET VOLUMES GROWING 

Hopes of a recovery in slow or falling beer sale volumes have been knocked off course by everything from bad weather to political turbulence. 

Analysts expect volumes to remain well short of the mid-single digit growth investors hope for until 2027.

And until people have more cash to spend, Heineken's incoming CEO has few levers to change this. Carlsberg is expected to show a big volume rise in its 2025 financial year, but mostly from its purchase of soft drinks maker Britvic. 

That strategy might help Heineken's Danish rival offset slow beer sales and any shift away from drinking.

Beer makers can also put more resources behind non-alcoholic beer, a segment which is growing fast.

Investor Expectations

GIVE INVESTORS A RETURN

Heineken has fallen behind in terms of total investor returns from share price increases and dividends. Some such as AB InBev have multi-billion dollar share buy back programmes.

Cost Management

CUT COSTS

Investors see Heineken lagging behind AB InBev on cost efficiency. Some say they want to see more of the 500 million euros ($583 million) a year Heineken has pledged to save flow through to it bottom line.

The new CEO will have to be careful what they cut. Heineken needs to invest in the right places if it wants to benefit when demand returns.

Brewery Operations

TOO MANY BREWERIES?

Some investors and analysts say Heineken has too many breweries, especially in mature markets such as Europe where there is less scope for future growth. Some worry attitudes to drinking are shifting and volumes will only decline.

Heineken's new boss will need to shutter sites or, like their predecessor, defend the firm's production footprint. 

BRING BACK THE CHEER

While beer sector valuations have all seen sharp declines since 2021 as hopes for future earnings faded, Heineken's has lost the most.

Bringing its valuation back up means reviving optimism around sales and profits, even amid political and economic turbulence, worries future generations are turning away from drinking and new threats like the rise of weightloss drugs. 

($1 = 0.8571 euros)

(Reporting by Emma Rumney; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Alexander Smith)