BrewDog CEO Departs Less Than a Year After US Firm's Acquisition
James Taylor's exit follows a turbulent period for the Scottish brewery, which was acquired by Tilray Brands earlier this year.
James Taylor has resigned as chief executive of BrewDog, effective immediately, marking his departure just over three months after the Scottish brewery was acquired by U.S.-based Tilray Brands. His exit was confirmed in a Companies House filing dated June 29.
Taylor had been at the helm of the Aberdeenshire-based brewing and pubs group since March 2025, tasked with turning the business around amid ongoing losses exacerbated by an aggressive expansion strategy. He is the third CEO to leave BrewDog in just over two years, following co-founder James Watt and his successor James Arrow, both of whom departed within a year of each other.
A spokesperson for Tilray stated that BrewDog now operates under Tilray International and does not require a full-time chief executive in its current structure. The company expressed gratitude for Taylor's contributions during the ownership transition and wished him future success. Day-to-day operations at BrewDog are now overseen by chief commercial officer Lauren Carrol, who reports to Rajnish Ohri, president of Tilray’s operations business.
Tilray Brands acquired BrewDog in a £33 million deal that encompassed its UK brewing operations and 11 pubs across Britain and Ireland. The brewery had previously faced significant financial challenges, collapsing with over £500 million in debt. In September 2025, BrewDog reported an annual pre-tax loss of nearly £37 million, with sales growth at less than one percent, amounting to £357 million.
In March, BrewDog announced plans to close 38 of its bars, resulting in the loss of nearly 500 jobs. The company's 'equity for punks' scheme, which allowed public investment, has left over 200,000 investors with no return. Earlier this year, co-founder James Watt announced plans to allocate nearly 20 percent of shares in his new venture, Second Best beer company, to individuals who lost money through the BrewDog Equity for Punks scheme. Watt co-founded BrewDog with Martin Dickie in 2007, and at its peak, the company operated four breweries, approximately 100 pubs globally, and achieved a valuation exceeding $1 billion.