BrewDog chief executive James Taylor has stepped down from his position just three months after the Aberdeenshire-based brewer was acquired by the US medical cannabis and drinks company Tilray. The departure marks the exit of the third chief executive to run the Scottish brewery in the space of just over two years, following his predecessor James Arrow and co-founder James Watt.
According to a company spokesperson, Taylor successfully guided the brewery through its ownership transition. Tilray has confirmed that it does not intend to appoint a direct replacement for the chief executive role. The parent company stated that the Scottish brewer now sits within the broader Tilray International structure, which eliminates the requirement for a full-time CEO. Moving forward, the daily operational oversight will be managed by BrewDog’s chief commercial officer, Lauren Carrol. She will report directly to Rajnish Ohri, the president of Tilray's international operations.
Taylor, who previously served as the company's chief financial officer, was promoted to the top executive role in early 2025 to help stabilize the business following heavy financial losses linked to an aggressive global expansion strategy. During his tenure, he oversaw a significant restructuring that included the closure of ten commercially unviable UK bar locations in July 2025 to curb rising costs (inside.beer, 2025-07-22). Despite these efforts, BrewDog collapsed into administration in March 2026 and was subsequently acquired by Tilray in a pre-pack deal valued at GBP 33 million (USD 42 million) (inside.beer, 2026-03-03).
Since the takeover, the new ownership has actively worked on reorganizing the remaining business. Following the immediate closure of 38 additional pub locations during the acquisition process, the parent company is now utilizing the surviving network of 11 UK and Irish brewpubs to introduce its American craft beer portfolio to the British market (inside.beer, 2026-06-10).
