Heineken N.V. announces organisational changes to accelerate strategy delivery

Amsterdam, 31 March 2015 - Heineken N.V. (EURONEXT: HEIA; OTCQX: HEINY) today announced that in order to accelerate the delivery of its global strategy it will make changes to its operating model and ways of working.  The changes will allow the business to better focus on growth opportunities, to be more agile in responding to consumer needs in the marketplace and be more cost effective in doing so.  The key changes are:

The business will be regrouped around 4 geographic regions. The existing regions of Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe will be united to form a single Europe region, focused primarily on the European Union markets. Stefan Orlowski, President Americas, will lead this region.  The existing Africa Middle East region will be combined with Russia and Belarus to form a new region, Africa Middle East and Eastern Europe.  Roland Pirmez, President Asia Pacific, will lead this new region.  Marc Busain, Managing Director CM/HEINEKEN Mexico, becomes President of the existing Americas region and Frans Eusman, Chief Business Services Officer, becomes President of the existing Asia Pacific region.

The Head Office organisation, both functional and regional will be streamlined. The roles of Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Sales Officer will be combined at a global level in one Chief Commercial Officer role.  Jan Derck van Karnebeek, President Central and Eastern Europe and Global Chief Sales Officer, will assume this position. Strategy development will be embedded in the organisation and the role of Chief Strategy Officer will be phased out. The key functions currently within Global Business Services are now successfully established and so will transfer to the CFO.  As a result the new management group will be leaner and renamed Executive Team.

Furthermore, the composition and structure of the management reporting directly to the Executive Team has been redesigned, subject to consultation with the relevant Works Councils.  In the coming three months, further work will be undertaken in order to eliminate duplication, streamline processes and simplify decision-making.

Taken together, these changes will underpin delivery of the company's medium term target of improving consolidated operating margin (beia) by around 40 basis points per annum.

Jean-François van Boxmeer, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of HEINEKEN said, "The changes announced today will make us a more agile organisation.  Our management structure will be flatter, our operating companies more empowered and our cost of doing business lower.  The new Executive Team consists of proven leaders who will build on the outstanding work done by the HEINEKEN Executive Committee over the last few years."