Heineken relocates its CEE headoffice from Vienna to Amsterdam

It’s probably more a case of piqued national pride than a real loss that has caused an outcry in Austrian media, following Heineken’s decision on 13 January 2013 to relocate its central and eastern european (CEE) headquarters from Vienna to Amsterdam.

But as the decision comes only weeks after Heineken’s Austrian unit Brau Union announced the sale of its Pago juice company to its German rival Eckes Granini Group, Austrians feel miffed.

Ever since Heineken bought the Austrian brewer Brau Union with subsidiaries in several central European markets a decade ago, Heineken’s ventures further east have been steered from Vienna. This clause was part of the original sales contract.

Although Heineken’s CEE division was headed by a Dutchman, Nico Nusmeier, the Austrians prided themselves in running the global brewers’ major revenue spinner. Heineken CEE in Vienna not only supervised markets in central and eastern Europe, but also the business in Germany and Greece. The division stood for a quarter of Heineken’s total beer sales and EUR 3.3 billion in revenues, according to Heineken’s 2011 financial statement. That helped boost the importance of the local Austrian unit Brau Union.

This summer Heineken will transfer its CEE leadership team, including Mr Nusmeier’s successor Jan Derck van Karnebeek, to Amsterdam. The CEE exports team and some back office functions are due to move to Brau Union’s brewery in Schwechat.

To smooth a few ruffled feathers, Brau Union’s chief Markus Liebl had to tell Austrian media that “the change is not too dramatic because a big part of the team is staying in Austria.”