Holly Bostock to lead Red Stripe as brewery’s first female managing director

Red Stripe has selected Holly Bostock to take over as managing director on July 1. She succeeds Daaf van Tilburg, who is being moved into a regional assignment with Heineken’s Asia Pacific division, continuing the company’s recent practice of changing its Jamaica head about every three years.

Bostock, who is British, has been in charge of Heineken’s Saint Lucia business since July 2023. Her appointment makes her the first woman to lead Red Stripe in the brewery’s 100-year history and the fourth managing director since Heineken bought the company from Diageo in October 2015.

"I look forward to working with the talented team to build on its success, drive sustainable growth, and continue contributing to Jamaica's economic and social development," Bostock said.

Van Tilburg, a Dutch executive, will become managing director for Heineken’s Asia Pacific portfolio. In that post, he will work with operating companies across the region on growth, productivity and organisational change, according to the company.

Over his three-year stint at Red Stripe, van Tilburg led the brewery through what Heineken described as strong results. The company also introduced new products aimed at drinkers moving towards higher-strength beverages and saw an improvement at Celebration Brands Limited, Red Stripe’s sales and distribution joint venture. Heineken generally does not publish separate financial results for Red Stripe in its group accounts.

"Leading Red Stripe has been an incredible privilege," van Tilburg said. "The passion, resilience, and talent of the Jamaican team are truly inspiring."

Since taking ownership of the Spanish Town Road brewery, Heineken has largely followed a three-year leadership cycle. Ricardo Nuncio took charge in November 2015, Luis Prata followed in August 2019, and van Tilburg assumed the role in July 2023.

A similar movement at the top occurred during the Diageo period, when that company held the majority shareholding. Renato Gonzales served briefly in 2011 and 2012 before Cedric Blair, the first Jamaican to head Red Stripe in the modern era, took over.

Heineken said Bostock’s time in Saint Lucia produced back-to-back gains in revenue, gross profit and operating profit. The business also delivered record cash performance and reworked its debt and dividend commitments to shareholders.

Bostock entered Heineken in 2010 through the company’s international graduate programme. She later held senior posts in public affairs, communications and sustainability at Heineken’s Amsterdam head office, before becoming corporate affairs director in Myanmar and Vietnam.