Heineken to sack 6,000 workers

Heineken has announced that it would cut up to 6,000 jobs from its global workforce and set lower expectations for profit growth in 2026.

Heineken announced this in a statement on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

The job cuts amount to almost 7% of the 87,000-strong, global workforce at the world’s No.2 brewer by market value, which is searching for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) following the surprise resignation of Dolf van den Brink in January.

The maker of Tiger and Amstel, alongside its namesake lager, has promised to deliver higher growth with fewer resources as it looks to assuage dissatisfied investors who say it has fallen behind on efficiency.

At the same time, sales across the sector are faltering amid strained consumer finances and more recent bad weather.

Rival Carlsberg has said it would cut jobs, while other beer and spirit makers are also cutting costs, selling assets and slowing production after years of slow sales.

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Heineken’s shares were up 4% on Wednesday morning, having risen around 7% since the end of 2025, Reuters reported.

Heineken said its productivity drive will unlock savings and reduce its global head count by 5,000 to 6,000 positions over the next two years.

“We really do this to strengthen our operations and to be able to invest in growth,” finance chief Harold van den Broek said on a media call announcing the company’s annual results.

He said some of the cuts would be focused on Europe or non-priority markets offering fewer growth prospects, adding that some would also result from previously announced initiatives targeting Heineken’s supply network, head office, and regional business units.

The Star