BrewDog CEO James Taylor departs following Tilray Brands acquisition 

UK – BrewDog Chief Executive Officer James Taylor has left the company following its acquisition by Tilray Brands, as the Scottish brewer completes its integration into the international beverage group’s leadership structure. 

A BrewDog spokesperson confirmed Taylor’s departure, explaining that the role of a full-time chief executive was no longer required after the business became part of Tilray International. 

“BrewDog now sits under Tilray International and within this structure isn’t a requirement for a full-time chief executive,” the spokesperson said. 

“James successfully led BrewDog through its ownership transition. We thank him for his contributions and wish him every success in the future.” 

The company added that Taylor had guided BrewDog through a major restructuring and its £33 million sale to Tilray earlier this year. Under the new management structure, Chief Commercial Officer Lauren Carrol will continue overseeing BrewDog’s day-to-day operations and will report to Rajnish Ohri, President – International at Tilray Brands. 

Taylor served as BrewDog’s Chief Executive Officer from March 2025 after previously holding the position of Chief Financial Officer from November 2023. He succeeded James Arrow, who stepped down from the role last year. 

At the time of Taylor’s appointment, BrewDog credited his financial and strategic leadership with helping return the company to profitability in 2024 and described the transition as seamless. 

BrewDog Chairman Allan Leighton had praised Taylor’s leadership, stating: “James Taylor has been an instrumental leader at BrewDog, steering the financial strategy and laying a strong foundation for profitable growth.” 

“His deep understanding of our business, coupled with his proven track record in operational excellence, makes him the ideal choice to guide BrewDog into its next chapter,” Leighton added. 

Tilray completed its acquisition of the BrewDog brand and selected business assets in March 2026. The transaction included ownership of the BrewDog brand, intellectual property, UK brewing operations and 11 brewpubs across the UK and Ireland. The deal, managed by AlixPartners, also resulted in the immediate closure of 38 bars and 484 job redundancies. 

Speaking on June 30, Tilray Chief Executive Officer Irwin Simon said the company had invested approximately £50 million into BrewDog since completing the acquisition. 

“It’s a phenomenal brand, phenomenal assets, phenomenal opportunities,” Simon said. 

“We probably put another £50m back into this business from a cash flow and an investment standpoint. We were the ones funding payroll and inventories, ingredients and stuff like that. It’s in a good place but there’s still a lot of work to do.” 

Tilray acquired BrewDog as part of its strategy to strengthen its international beverage portfolio and expand its presence in key global markets. 

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