'I pushed people too far' | BrewDog CEO says plan to fix 'toxic' culture is already working

BrewDog boss James Watt has admitted “pushing people too far” and “missing the mark from a people perspective” in a candid podcast interview about the firm’s recent workplace culture controversy.

The CEO and Co-Founder of the beer-making giant recently appeared on Steven Bartlett’s podcast Diary Of A CEO, addressing various issues including how the craft beer firm was founded and some of its previous guerrilla marketing campaigns.

However, what will be of particular interest to HR leaders will be his discussion about the company’s recent PR disasters, including the fallout from the infamous ‘Punks With Purpose’ letter.

It was June 2021 when an open letter, signed by anonymous current staff and many ex-employees detailed various accusations about the company regarding its culture, its ‘lies and deceit’, as well as treatment of staff.