BrewDog trains 200 staff as mental health first aiders amid brand refresh

BrewDog has reportedly trained 200 staff as mental health first aiders amid a leadership reshuffle, which saw founder James Watt leave the business last year.

In March, BrewDog’s former chief financial officer James Taylor took over from James Arrow as chief executive after Arrow stepped down for personal reasons. Taylor had previously held senior leadership roles at Mayborn, the childcare company whose brands include Tommee Tippee, as well as GHD and Anya Hindmarch.

Taylor works alongside Lauren Carrol, who was appointed chief operating officer, having been BrewDog’s chief marketing officer since 2022.

In an interview with The Times last week, Taylor said: “In terms of the historic side of the business, we’re way beyond that. That’s not recognised in our business.​”

Carrol added that the brand was following a “new direction” after the departure of founders Watt and Martin Dickie.

The shift comes roughly four years after more than 100 former employees at BrewDog signed an open letter alleging there was a “culture of fear” within the business. This included people being pressured into working beyond their capacity, with a “significant number” reportedly suffering mental illness as result.

At the time, BrewDog said a review of these claims found that despite the criticism, the “vast majority” of its employees enjoyed working at the company.

In December 2021, the business also introduced a workplace code, appointed a head of learning and development and employed a management training structure to support staff.

Investment had also been made in mental health provision, including the appointment of mental health ambassadors, and an independently run hotline for staff to report concerns.

BrewDog was founded in 2007 by Watt and Dickie. It employs more than 2,700 people and operates 120 bars, hotels and venues worldwide.

Watt stepped down as chief executive after 17 years at the business in May 2024, though he remains a member of the board.

In BrewDog’s latest results for the year ended 31 December 2024, it posted gross revenues of £357m and adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of £7.5m. The brewery also returned to profit for the first time since 2021. 

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