Brands
Heineken chief Dolf van den Brink to step down in May 2026
AMSTERDAM: Heineken NV chief executive and executive board chair Dolf van den Brink will step down on 31 May 2026, bringing to a close a 28-year career at the Dutch brewer and six years at the helm.
From 1 June 2026, van den Brink will remain available to the company in an advisory role for eight months to ensure continuity as Heineken moves into the next phase of its EverGreen strategy.
Van den Brink said the timing was right as the group prepares to execute EverGreen 2030 after completing a period of deep operational and strategic transformation. “Heineken has reached a stage where a leadership transition will best support its long-term ambitions,” he said, adding that he would remain focused on disciplined delivery and a smooth handover.
Chair of the supervisory board Peter Wennink credited van den Brink with steering Heineken through a demanding phase of change while delivering EverGreen 2025 targets in a volatile global environment. He said the launch of EverGreen 2030 had set a clear growth path and that the board had agreed to begin the succession process to secure strong leadership for the execution phase ahead.
The transition signals a shift from strategic reset to delivery, as Heineken looks to sustain growth and sharpen performance across its global beer and beverage portfolio.
Brands
Flipkart completes reverse flip to India ahead of IPO
Walmart-owned e-commerce giant shifts domicile from Singapore to Bengaluru
MUMBAI: Flipkart has completed its restructuring to move its parent company from Singapore back to India, marking a key milestone as the Walmart-owned marketplace prepares for a potential initial public offering on Indian stock exchanges, ET reported, citing people aware of the matter.
The move, often referred to as a “reverse flip”, relocates the company’s legal home to India and aligns its corporate structure more closely with its largest market. It also clears an important regulatory step for Flipkart as it explores listing plans.
As part of the restructuring, several Singapore-based entities have been merged into Flipkart Internet Private Limited, which will now serve as the main holding company for the entire group.
The consolidation brings a number of major businesses directly under the Indian parent company. These include fashion platform Myntra, logistics arm Ekart, travel booking platform Cleartrip, healthcare marketplace Flipkart Health, and fintech venture Super.money.
Under the new structure, global investors including Walmart, Microsoft, SoftBank, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board will hold their stakes directly in the Indian entity rather than through an overseas holding company.
The redomiciliation required approval from the Indian government because Chinese technology company Tencent owns around a 5 to 6 per cent stake in Flipkart. Under Press Note 3, investments from countries sharing a land border with India require prior government clearance.
Flipkart had already secured approval from the National Company Law Tribunal in December. With the latest clearance from the central government, the company has now obtained all the regulatory approvals needed to complete the relocation, ET reported earlier.
Flipkart had originally shifted its holding structure to Singapore in 2011 to tap global capital more easily. However, as India’s capital markets have matured, several start-ups have begun returning their domiciles to the country ahead of public listings. Companies such as Razorpay, Groww, and Meesho have taken similar steps.
The company is now expected to move ahead with its IPO preparations and has begun early discussions with merchant bankers. According to people familiar with the matter, Flipkart could file its draft prospectus later this year, setting the stage for what may become one of the most closely watched listings in India’s e-commerce sector.
Flipkart has been majority-owned by Walmart since 2018, when the US retail giant acquired a 77 per cent stake in the company for $16 billion in one of the largest e-commerce deals globally.
