Speakers

As the Global Master Brewer at The HEINEKEN Company, Willem is responsible for driving the passion for quality and craftsmanship, supporting commerce with beer creation and branding at the HEINEKEN brewery.

Willem joined HEINEKEN in 1995 as a Senior Technological Consultant and has progressed to Global Master Brewer and been an integral part of the global beer’s success. Willem initiated and oversees the HEINEKEN Brewing Guild, co-ordinating, training and linking HEINEKEN’s Master Brewers across the world.

Willem received a M.Sc. in Geochemistry from Utrecht State University, a MBA from Rotterdam School of Management and started his brewing training with the Siebel Diploma of Brewing Technology, Class of 1992. Next to brewing at and starting up 500 up to 3 million hl per year breweries, Willem guided HEINEKEN’s brewing research for 12 years.

Notably, Willem has played an important role in transforming the non-alcoholic beverage industry through the creation of Heineken® 0.0 that launched in 2017 and is now available in >75 markets across the world. Heineken® 0.0 is brewed with a unique recipe for a distinct balanced taste made from natural ingredients.

HEINEKEN is the world’s most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium and non-alcoholic beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken® brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. With HEINEKEN’s over 85,000 employees, we brew the joy of true togetherness to inspire a better world. Our dream is to shape the future of beer and beyond to win the hearts of consumers. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through “Brew a Better World”, sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries.