Struggling Dutch brewer Heineken announces major restructuring, targeting up to 6,000 job cuts over two years to drive savings as beer volumes decline.

AMSTERDAM: Under-pressure Dutch brewer Heineken will cut up to 6,000 jobs over the next two years. The company cited “challenging market conditions” as the driver for the major restructuring plan.

It aims to “accelerate productivity at scale to unlock significant savings” by reducing 5,000 to 6,000 roles. The world’s second-largest brewer after AB InBev employs around 87,000 people globally.

Chief executive Dolf van den Brink said the company remains “prudent in our near-term expectations for beer market conditions”. He stunned the company last month by announcing he would step down after almost six years in charge.

Van den Brink told reporters he was leaving with “mixed emotions”. He acknowledged in January that he had guided Heineken “through turbulent economic and political times”.

The company reported a 2.4% decline in overall beer volumes last year. The drop was especially severe in Europe and the Americas, which fell 4.1% and 3.5% respectively.

Looking ahead to 2026, Heineken forecast full-year operating profit growth of between 2% and 6%.

 The Sun Malaysia