Dolf van den Brink is the first beer industry member to be make the list.
HEINEKEN USA’s President and CEO Dolf van den Brink has been named one of Fortune Magazine’s prestigious “40 Under 40!” The annual list of business leaders under 40 years old celebrates some of the most influential contributors in technology, media, finance, and now beer.
Ranked No. 8 among leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and the founders of Google, the is the first time anyone from the beer industry has been nominated, and van den Brink is only one of two CPG executives highlighted on the tech-dominated list.
“We believe this honor reflects the culture and performance changes HEINEKEN USA activated during his three years, all contributing to our ambition to be the leading upscale beer company in the U.S.,” the company said.
Age 39, van den Brink took his first job with Heineken was as a commercial management trainee in 1998. When he took the top U.S. leadership spot in 2009, sales of Heineken lager were floundering and market share had fallen, but van den Brink turned them around with smart advertising for Dos Equis, such as with the “Most Interesting Man” campaign, and the U.S. portfolio is up 4.1% in volume since January.
To read Dolf’s full profile and view the full list of nominees, click here.