KDP’s Oliveira Heads to Heineken as CEO
The Heineken Co.'s board has nominated Rafael (Rafa) Oliveira to take over as chief executive officer beginning Oct. 1. This leaves a leadership gap as Oliveira was previously set to take over as CEO of Keurig Dr Pepper's (KDP) Global Coffee Co. upon the company's split.
Heineken completed what it calls a "rigorous global search," selecting Oliveira for qualities that will make him a "well-rounded CEO," which include a mix of strategic vision, operational expertise and financial acumen.
Oliveira brings extensive leadership experience in the consumer goods industry. He will join the company from JDE Peet’s, a coffee and tea company, where he has served as CEO since 2024. Previously, he spent nearly a decade at The Kraft Heinz Co. in a variety of division president roles, overseeing business development for markets such as the U.K., the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Australia, according to LinkedIn.
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Peter Wennink, chair of the Heineken board said Oliveira is a dynamic, visionary leader with a strong track record of leading global consumer businesses and delivering growth.
"Throughout his career, Rafa has consistently transformed complex challenges into clear organizational priorities, aligning teams around what matters most and driving disciplined execution of strategy," Wennink said in a statement. "He combines strategic clarity with operational rigor and strong people leadership to deliver superior results."
Once his appointment is finalized, Oliveira is expected to be in the CEO role for a period of four years.
KPD in Search of a Coffee CEO
As a result of Oliveira's intended departure, KPD has launched a search process for the future CEO of Global Coffee Co. to prepare for the company's planned separation in early 2027. Pamela Patsley, chairman of KDP's board and of the nomination and governance committee, will oversee the search.
Also: KDP selects chief transformation, supply chain officer amid business split
Tim Cofer, CEO of KDP, who will serve as CEO of Beverage Co. post-separation, will continue to lead the coffee business during this transitional period, working closely with the coffee operating unit leadership team to deliver on any separation objectives.
"Our business has strong momentum, and we remain focused on executing our 2026 priorities: delivering our full-year guidance, successfully integrating JDE Peet's and achieving separation milestones," Cofer said in a statement. "We have highly capable and experienced leadership teams for our beverage operating unit, coffee operating unit and transformation management office, and I will work closely with each group to deliver on our commitments while standing up two advantaged companies."
