BrewDog chief James Watt admits to management mistakes following workplace culture row

James Watt, CEO, and founder of Brewdog talked about anger management issues and the mistakes made around Brewdog’s workplace culture.

Speaking on the podcast The Diary of ACEO, he said: “It is safe to say that I have been very tough at times on the journey, I am demanding so much, that I have set standards that I will set for myself, and for many members of the team that are unattainable; I’ve taken people a long way.

It comes after allegations that the company was shaken, ranging from personal injustice to financial mismanagement to marketing scams.

In a BBC disclosure documentary earlier this year, several members of Brewdog’s U.S. staff said they saw CEO and co-founder James Watt giving customers a private, late-night tour of American pubs.

Dylan Gray, a former manager of Bradoug Franklin in Ohio, said he would schedule more men for the nights when Watt was there and would sit behind the bar with the female staff “so they wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.”

Watt’s lawyer denied all the allegations, saying: “Mr. Watt has never paid undue attention to any bartender. This account is not accurate – it was thoroughly investigated by the Central High Court which concluded There is no proof of these claims.

Jackie English, a former duty manager at Braddog’s flagship bar Canal Winchester, said: “There were three separate nights … take them to the brewery … to give them a tour or whatever.”

His lawyer added: “Mr. Watt regularly takes women and men, friends and clients on a visit to the brewery in the evenings.

“It’s not fair to say that those who came with him are drunk. The claim he made was made in June 2021 by an employee.

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“It was fully investigated and the claims were not confirmed, no further action was confirmed by Brewdog USA HR.”

Despite being a Scottish craft beer firm worth $ 2bn, Watt acknowledged that it had to start from scratch to rebuild Brewdog’s reputation and improve its management style.

About BrewDog

BrewDog is a multinational brewery and pub chain based in Elon, Scotland. With the output of more than 800,000hl. BrewDog claims to be “the # 1 craft brewer in Europe”. It was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickey, who together own 46% of the company.