C harlene de Carvalho-Heineken is a Dutch-British billionaire businesswoman and one of the wealthiest women in the world. She is the controlling owner of Heineken N.V., the world's second-largest brewing company. She is the daughter of Freddy Heineken, the charismatic and transformational leader of the company, and the great-granddaughter of the brewery's founder, Gerard Adriaan Heineken.

For most of her life, de Carvalho-Heineken avoided the spotlight and had no active role in the family business. However, upon her father's death in 2002, she inherited his 25% controlling stake in the company and was faced with the decision to either sell or take charge. She chose to embrace her legacy and now serves as an executive director on the board of directors. She has since been an active steward of the family's interest, overseeing the global beer empire that includes the iconic Heineken brand as well as hundreds of others, including Amstel, Sol, and Tiger. Her husband, Michel de Carvalho, also sits on the supervisory board.