Heineken has joined a growing list of companies implementing layoffs to boost efficiency through AI-driven productivity gains.

The world’s second-largest brewer, behind Anheuser-Busch InBev, announced plans to cut up to 7% of its workforce, eliminating up to 6,000 roles over the next two years, CNBC reports.

The restructuring follows weak beer sales last year, with total volumes declining 2.4% in 2025, the outlet notes. Despite the drop in sales, adjusted operating profit rose 4.4%.

Heineken Unveils 2025 Results As It Shifts To EverGreen 2030

Heineken released its full-year 2025 results on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, describing a “well-balanced performance in challenging market conditions.”

Outgoing CEO Dolf van den Brink told CNBC the job cuts would free up capital to invest in growth and its premium brands, acknowledging that the cuts were “partly also due to AI, or let’s say digitization.”

“That’s a very big part of our EverGreen 2030 strategy, with around 3,000 roles moving to our business services, where technology digitization in general, and AI specifically, will be an important part of ongoing productivity savings,” Van den Brink said, per CNBC.

Van den Brink said in the company’s year-end results statement that as the EverGreen 2025 strategy concludes, the company is shifting its focus to the disciplined execution of EverGreen 2030. He said the first priority will be accelerating growth, stepping up productivity, and implementing operating model changes that will involve significant cost reductions over the next two years.

“This will unlock stronger people productivity and enable greater speed and efficiency,” van den Brink said. “At the same time, we remain prudent in our near-term expectations for beer market conditions.”

According to CNBC, Heineken employs approximately 87,000 people and operates in more than 70 countries.

Heineken is currently searching for a new CEO, as van den Brink will step down on May 31 after six years as CEO, the company has shared in a press release.

AI Push Fuels Wave of Corporate Layoffs

AI-driven restructuring has led to tens of thousands of job cuts across industries. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, AI-related efficiency measures led to over 48,000 layoffs in 2025 alone.

Companies that announced significant layoffs in 2025 include Amazon, which cut 14,000 roles; IBM, which eliminated thousands of positions; United Parcel Service, which laid off 48,000 workers; and Verizon, which reduced its workforce by 15,000.