Africa & Middle East: Heineken appoints new Africa & Middle East operations lead

The regional lead for Heineken’s Africa & Middle East operations will step down in July, with the group’s MD for Mexico taking his place, Global Drinks Intel reported on April 14.

Guillaume Duverdier (below) has been appointed to assume the regional presidency once Roland Pirmez steps down after almost 30 years with the brewer. Pirmez has overseen the AME region for the last decade, during which he “led the business through major volatility, including the Covid pandemic and major currency devaluations”.

Pirmez’s tenure also included the protracted acquisition of Distell and Namibia Breweries, which completed two years ago, and November’s confirmation of plans to build a brewery in Dubai.

Duverdier’s time with Heineken dates back to 2000, since when he has held MD positions in Tunisia, Egypt, Poland and Spain. He has headed up the Mexican market since the start of 2022.

“Roland [Pirmez] is an exceptional team builder with a strong focus on nurturing talent,” said CEO Dolf van den Brink. “I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for his valuable contributions to the business and wish him a well-deserved retirement.

“Guillaume’s successful track record of 25 years within Heineken will ensure a smooth transition. I extend my thanks for his valuable contributions to our Mexico business and wish him continued success in his next chapter as a regional president.”

In results for full-year 2024, announced in February, the AME region was a stand-out performer, delivering a 24.5% leap in sales versus the corresponding 12-month period in 2023. The growth was driven in-part by “inflation-led pricing across the region”, the group said at the time.

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