CDO interview - Jelle Van Etten brews Heineken's data standards

Dutch-based global brewer Heineken has been digitizing its business throughout this decade, implementing SAP S4/Hana Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), event-driven architecture, and knowledge management. Together, these have increased the role of data in the Amsterdam headquartered business.

Jelle Van Etten, Head of Global Data at Heineken, describes the data modernization he has led, the development of a global shared service model for data, and the challenges and opportunities new data technologies offer.

Heineken is best known for its green bottled Dutch lager, but there are 500 brands within the Heineken family. These are brewed by operating companies that are spread across 190 countries. As a result, there is a varied technology landscape and, therefore, data. Heineken realized that this meant that processes or innovations from one market were not easily replicated. With a myriad of plug-ins to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and sales platforms in the operating companies, this ...