He is set to join Heineken from JDE Peet’s, the coffee and tea company, where he has served as CEO since 2024. He was appointed to lead Keurig Dr Pepper’s planned Global Coffee Co, a new publicly traded business combining its coffee operations with JDE Peet’s, with an annual revenue US$16 billion.
Heineken says this new role underscored his “proven ability to lead complex global enterprises.”
Subject to shareholder appointment Oliveira will join Heineken on 1 October 2026 and will be appointed for a period of four years.
There had been concern raised about the potential successor as four months after revealing Dolf van den Brink was to step down on 21 May 2026 there was no sign of his replacement.
Heineken said that Oliveira brings more than two decades of experience in transformational leadership across both developed and emerging markets.
At JDE Peet’s, which was formerly listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange, Heineken said that Oliveira sharpened the company’s strategy, and restored focus and profitable growth delivering strong results and significant shareholder value creation.
Prior to JDE Peet’s, he spent a decade at The Kraft Heinz Company, rising to President International Markets and overseeing a US $7+ billion portfolio across Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
Peter Wennick, 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.”
Oliveira said he was honoured and excited to join Heineken.
“I am confident we will accelerate growth, drive productivity and future-fit Heineken, winning the hearts of consumers worldwide. I cannot wait to get started on 1 October 2026, and I will be fully committed to ensuring a seamless transition,” he said.
