BrewDog CEO James Taylor has left the Scottish brewer following the business's recent takeover by US-based Tilray Brands. The leadership change marks the next stage of the company's integration into the wider Tilray portfolio.
Taylor, who previously served as CFO, was promoted to chief executive in March 2025 following the departure of James Arrow. His exit coincides with the finalisation of agreements that have seen Tilray Brands acquire significant portions of BrewDog’s operations in the UK, Ireland, the US, and Australia.
The company has confirmed that it will not recruit a direct replacement for the CEO role. Instead, operational oversight will be managed by Lauren Carrol, BrewDog’s chief commercial officer. Carrol will report directly to Rajnish Ohri, the president of Tilray's operations business.
In a statement regarding the departure, a company 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 leadership change follows the acquisition of BrewDog’s global brand and 11 of its brewpubs out of administration by Tilray in March 2026 for a reported £33 million. This acquisition has significantly altered the management structure of the business as Tilray moves to integrate the brewer into its existing international operations.
Separately, former BrewDog co-founder James Watt is preparing to re-enter the beer sector with a new venture, Second Best. Watt has indicated plans to offer up to 19.3% of the new business to former BrewDog investors.
