The Amsterdam-based firm cut its workforce by around 3,000 across the first half of the year, enabling it to widen its operating margin.
The cuts form part of a two-year restructuring plan targeting a total personnel reduction of 6,000 across the period.
According to chief financial officer Harold van den Broek, the cuts are “enterprise-wide” and have impacted the company’s breweries, supply chain, head office and individual market operations, with Europe acting as a “big component” of the reduction plan.
He added that the company was “open-minded” about even more cuts, which are expected to deliver gross savings of around €400 million to €500 million.
The Dutch giant’s organic operating profit rose by 6.7% in the first half of 2026, ahead of analyst expectations of a 3.3% increase.
As a result, Heineken has reaffirmed its full-year profit guidance of 2% to 6%.
Total revenue was up 3.8% to €17.6 billion, supported by volume growth of 1.6%.
Although the thousands of job losses will prove concerning to the brewer’s global workforce, the restructuring plan has so far proved popular with investors, with Heineken’s share price rising 15% over the past year.
