Heineken N.V. announced on Tuesday that it has put forward Rafael Oliveira, who currently serves as chief executive officer of JDE Peet's N.V., as its nominated new chief executive. The Supervisory Board will present Oliveira - commonly known as Rafa - for appointment to a four-year term beginning Oct. 1, contingent on a shareholder vote at an Extraordinary General Meeting set for Aug. 5.
Oliveira has been at the helm of JDE Peet's since 2024. After Keurig Dr Pepper completed its acquisition of JDE Peet's, Oliveira was chosen to head Keurig Dr Pepper's planned Global Coffee Co. That entity is described as a new publicly traded business that will combine Keurig Dr Pepper's coffee operations with JDE Peet's and is expected to have annual revenue of approximately $16 billion.
Prior to his tenure at JDE Peet's, Oliveira spent a decade with The Kraft Heinz Company, where he advanced to the role of President of International Markets. In that capacity he was responsible for a portfolio exceeding $7 billion across regions including Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
Peter Wennink, chair of the Heineken Supervisory Board, said the board is "confident that his energy and strategic acumen will accelerate the execution of the company’s EverGreen 2030 strategic agenda." Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken added that the family believes Oliveira’s "proven ability to translate strategy into disciplined execution, his strong people leadership, and his clear strategic vision are the qualities needed to become an excellent HEINEKEN CEO."
Oliveira's earlier career includes ten years at Goldman Sachs, where he served in roles including Executive Director for Emerging Markets in Asia based in Hong Kong. He began his professional career as an Equity Research Analyst in Brazil at Banco Icatu and Banco BBA Creditanstalt.
Background and transition timeline
Heineken's nomination places Oliveira on a trajectory to assume formal leadership on Oct. 1 if shareholders approve the Supervisory Board's recommendation at the Extraordinary General Meeting on Aug. 5. The move extracts an executive who has recently been active in restructuring and integrating large coffee businesses, and positions him to lead Heineken's next phase.
Context within corporate portfolios
Oliveira's experience spans major consumer beverage companies and financial services. At JDE Peet's he moved into a role that is linked to Keurig Dr Pepper's plan to form a large, combined Global Coffee Co. with pro forma annual revenues cited at about $16 billion. His prior responsibilities at Kraft Heinz covered a multi-billion-dollar international portfolio, and his decade at Goldman Sachs included emerging markets coverage from Asia.