Jamaica: Heineken’s Red Stripe to get a new managing director

Red Stripe, part of the Heineken Company, is making a change at the top, the Jamaica Observer reported on April 27.

The beer maker announced in a press release that Luis Prata, who joined the company as managing director in August 2019 will end his assignment, effective June 30, 2023. Prata will be replaced by Daaf van Tilburg, who is currently managing director of Brasserie Nationale d’Haïti (BRANA), which is also part of the Heineken Company, effective July 1, 2023.

Prata will assume the role of managing director at Heineken Slovakia, with effect July 1, 2023.

Since August 2019, Prata has been leading Red Stripe through a period of transformation, “successfully delivering numerous projects that have improved the company performance,” the release stated.

According to the release, during his tenure, Prata piloted the company through the turbulent years of COVID-19, implementing several initiatives that ensured the safety and health of the team while supporting customers with the initiative “For our Bars, For Jamaica”.

He also developed the company’s premium portfolio especially through Heineken and the launch of Heineken 0.0, the company said, adding that Prata also contributed significantly to the development of the beer sector with innovations such as Red Stripe Melon, Guinness Smooth and most recently Red Stripe Tall Boss while further enhancing the Red-cycling programme.

The release stated that Prata was also instrumental in spearheading the People agenda delivering a robust Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programme, leadership capability development initiatives, and upgraded employee facilities. He is credited with increased brewery efficiency and operational agility through major investments such as the recently inaugurated Cellars Expansion Project and the Brewhouse Systems upgrade.

As managing director of BRANA, Tilburg is credited with leading the turnaround of the company, delivering strong revenue growth and business results whilst navigating the company through a very challenging period, always putting employee safety and health as his number one priority.

27 April, 2023