HEINEKEN Ireland’s Gender Pay Gap Report shows a near-zero gender pay gap for the fourth consecutive year.
HEINEKEN Ireland recorded a near-zero gender pay gap, with a 2025 mean gap of -0.09%. A minus percentage indicates a slight gap in favour of females. This result is particularly significant, as the 2024 Irish national average gender pay gap was an 11.2 % gap in favour of males.
“The positive outcomes in our Gender Pay Gap Report for 2025 didn’t happen by accident,” said HEINEKEN Ireland Managing Director Sharon Walsh.
“They are the result of deliberate and specific actions that Heineken has taken in recent years. We see diversity as a strategic advantage for our business that fuels innovation, strengthens collaboration and conversations and drives excellence. Inclusivity isn’t just about how the workplace treats our female colleagues, it’s about we structure our business for the benefit of both men and women. Ultimately, more balance means better results for everyone.”
As well as a near zero gender pay gap, the report also shows that HEINEKEN Ireland has made very significant progress in terms of overall female representation at management levels within the company. Since 2023, female representation within the company’s middle-senior leadership team has increase from 29% to 49%. This increase in female leaders was ahead of the company’s target for this year.
Overall employment at HEINEKEN Ireland remains predominantly male at 64% and the company is committed to developing female talent in parts of the business such as sales and supply chain, in which women have historically been under-represented.
“We have targeted strategies to attract, retain and develop female talent right across the company,” Ms Walsh said.
“Our long-standing commitment to equity and inclusion is further evidenced by ongoing initiatives such as Pay Equity Reviews, Enhancing Employee Experience, Life Stage Policies for fertility, menopause and dependent’s leave and our female talent development programme.”
Heineken’s Brew a Better World Sustainability Strategy has a significant focus on gender equity in the company’s reward policies and putting in place the conditions for lasting gender balance and pay fairness. HEINEKEN Ireland is also committed to fostering a culture that ensures inclusion is reflected right across the company’s operations.
“The detail contained in our Gender Pay Gap Report is not just numbers” Ms Walsh said. “It’s the lived experience of our colleagues in HEINEKEN Ireland and the positive culture that we are building together. We remain focused on sustaining this momentum, as we continue to a build a workplace where every voice matters, every contribution counts and every colleague has the opportunity to shine.”
HEINEKEN Ireland is the only drinks company in Ireland to have achieved the Business Working Responsibly Mark. The mark, which reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to responsible business and its progress across key areas such as environmental performance, employee wellbeing, and community impact, was first awarded to HEINEKEN Ireland in 2018 and the company was reaccredited earlier this year. HEINEKEN Ireland has also achieved a Great Place to Work certification for the second year running
HEINEKEN Ireland, which employs 360 people at its historic brewery in Cork and across the country, produces and sells some of Ireland’s leading drinks brands. Its portfolio includes Heineken, Heineken 0.0%, Birra Moretti, Coors, Orchard Thieves, Murphy’s and Beamish.
HEINEKEN Ireland’s full Gender Pay Gap Report for 2025 can be found here.
