Heineken to Retire From Brewery’s Board

Dutch beer baron Alfred Heineken, who helped Heineken Breweries grow from a domestic supplier to a worldwide concern, will retire next year.

Heineken, now 64, will be succeeded as chairman by Gerard van Schaik, the brewery’s current vice president, in April, 1989, five months after his 65th birthday, according to company spokeswoman Frances Tjaarda.

The brewery chief, whose name has been commonplace in the Netherlands for decades as a beer brand, gained personal prominence in 1983 when he and his chauffeur were kidnapped for three weeks.

Both were released unharmed after a reported ransom payment of 35 million guilders, then about $11.6 million, the highest in Dutch criminal history.

Brewing 1.09 billion gallons of beer in 1986, the company’s profit was 285 million guilders, then about $116.3 million, on worldwide sales of 6.7 billion guilders, valued at the time at about $2.7 billion.

Heineken joined the company, which was founded by his grandfather, in 1942 when it was largely a domestic beer supplier. In 1986, Heineken Breweries was selling beer, liquor and soft drinks in 150 nations around the world.

Heineken, the last of his family to work in the company, became a member of the board in 1964 and was appointed chairman in 1971.