Heineken has announced the appointment of Romain Apert as Chief Digital & Technology Officer and member of the Heineken Executive Team, effective May 15. Currently Chief Information Officer Petcare at Mars, Apert will succeed Ronald den Elzen , who, after 31 successful years at Heineken, last year expressed his intention to pursue new career and learning opportunities and will remain in place to support a smooth transition .

Romain Apert has worked at Mars for over twenty years, where he held global Chief Information Officer (CIO) positions across the company and, most recently, CIO for Mars Petcare. In this role, he led a large-scale, multi-year digitalization strategy, combining ERP modernization, robust data foundations, and skills development to support growth and productivity. He has sponsored dozens of high-impact digital use cases in the supply chain, commerce, and consumer sectors, including AI-powered diagnostics, and is leading one of the most ambitious ERP implementation programs in the industry. An engineer by training and a graduate of ECAM in Lyon (France), he has international experience spanning Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, collaborating closely with key business leaders to translate strategy into tangible technological outcomes.

The new executive "joins Heineken with deep international experience in leading large-scale digital transformations, data- and technology-driven strategies, and complex transformations in global companies," commented Dolf van den Brink , Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Heineken. " Romain will collaborate with the Executive Team, advancing Heineken's EverGreen 2030 strategy through the further implementation of the company's Digital Backbone and the creation of value from data and artificial intelligence. He is known for his ability to combine operational rigor with practical innovation and a people-focused leadership style, and is a perfect fit for the Heineken culture."

Ronald den Elzen joined Heineken in the Netherlands in 1995 as a Finance Management trainee and held various finance roles, including Chief Financial Officer of Heineken Brouwerijen, Chief Financial Officer of Heineken UK, and Global Business Controller for Heineken NV. In 2004, he became Director of Wholesale & OnPremise for Heineken Netherlands. Den Elzen led the integration of Scottish & Newcastle into Heineken and subsequently became Chief Financial Officer for the UK. Ronald then moved into general management in 2012 as CEO of Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas (Portugal) and in 2015 became CEO of Heineken USA.

In March 2020, Ronald den Elzen joined the executive team as Heineken's first Chief Digital & Technology Officer, helping to establish a solid foundation in platforms, data and analytics, cyber resilience, and the integration of digital capabilities across our markets. Under his leadership, working closely with colleagues across the company, the D&T team has advanced the company's ambition to become the "Best Connected Brewer," building a solid foundation for the future.