The sports-loving Dutchman, whose sartorial style could be described as "Euro-chic", has restructured his marketing function in response to the rise of the digital-savvy consumer. He has set the revitalised team the task of being the leading brewer for category development, brand-building, innovation and digital execution. The emphasis on innovation has reaped rewards with the successful launch of Foster’s Radler, a mix of lager and citrus concentrate, and Strongbow variant Dark Fruit.
While he is competitive by nature, van der Linden has taken a leading role in the cross-industry "Let there be beer" campaign.