How a 160-Year-Old Startup Uses AI: The Heineken Company’s Ronald den Elzen

How a 160-Year-Old Startup Uses AI: The Heineken Company’s Ronald den Elzen

Author: MIT Sloan Management Review January 7, 2025 Duration: 26:54
After trying his luck at the stock market, Ronald den Elzen, pursued a career in technology leadership instead. Today, as the chief technology and digital officer of The Heineken Company, he encourages his team to think about the legacy beverage company as a 160-year-old startup with global scale, operating with multiple brands in more than 80 markets. When members of his team can work with agility and less fear of making mistakes, he finds they are more successful at rolling out new technology initiatives. Heineken uses AI extensively in areas including revenue management, promotional optimization, and logistics, but Ronald believes much value still comes from traditional AI — such as predictive analytics and machine learning models — rather than chasing the latest trends like generative AI (GenAI). Heineken is focused on using these foundational tools to drive tangible. Read the episode transcript here. Guest bio: Ronald den Elzen, chief digital and technology officer at The Heineken Company, has been with the international brewer since 1996. He previously held roles in data and transformation and served as the CEO of Heineken USA. Den Elzen lives in the Netherlands. Me, Myself, and AI is a collaborative podcast from MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group and is hosted by Sam Ransbotham and Shervin Khodabandeh. Our engineer is David Lishansky, and the coordinating producers are Allison Ryder and Alanna Hooper. Stay in touch with us by joining our LinkedIn group, AI for Leaders at mitsmr.com/AIforLeaders or by following Me, Myself, and AI on LinkedIn. We encourage you to rate and review our show. Your comments may be used in Me, Myself, and AI materials.

Ever wondered how some organizations manage to turn artificial intelligence from a buzzword into a genuine engine for growth, while others struggle to move beyond the pilot phase? Me, Myself, and AI, a production from MIT Sloan Management Review, goes straight to the source to find out. Instead of theoretical discussions, this podcast features candid conversations with the people who are actually building and implementing AI systems at scale. You'll hear directly from leaders at prominent companies like YouTube, Cisco, and Hugging Face as they recount their journeys-not just the polished successes, but the real-world challenges, strategic decisions, and sometimes surprising lessons learned along the way. Each episode digs into the practicalities of creating measurable business value, cutting through the noise to reveal what effective AI leadership and integration truly look like. It’s a focused exploration for anyone in technology, business, or education who wants to understand the human and operational stories behind the algorithms. Tune in for an unvarnished look at the future being built, one practical application at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Me, Myself, and AI
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