Business
BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie leaves craft beer giant
Andy Taylor/ True NorthBrewdog co-founder Martin Dickie has left the Scottish craft beer giant, saying that he took the decision for personal reasons.
Dickie, who founded the Ellon-based firm with James Watt in 2007, recently launched his own medicinal cannabis business.
Last year Mr Watt stepped down from his role as CEO of the company and said he would move to a newly-created position of “captain and co-founder”.
Brewdog announced last month that it was closing 10 bars across the UK, including its flagship pub in Aberdeen, due to what it described as “ongoing industry challenges”.
A spokesperson said these challenges included rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures.
Getty ImagesBrewdog CEO James Taylor described Mr Dickie’s contributions to the company as “immeasurable”.
He added: “His creativity, passion, and relentless drive have shaped our company over the years and inspired countless others in the industry.”
In recent years Mr Dickie had helped oversee Brewdog’s expansion into the spirits and cocktail market.
He said his decision to leave, which will not result in any changes to the company’s leadership team, had been a difficult one.
“After over two decades in the brewing and distilling arena sadly for personal reasons it’s time for me to leave the industry that I love deeply and hopefully had a positive impact in,” he said.
“Leaving Brewdog isn’t easy, but I’m ready to spend less time travelling and spend some more time at home with my young family.”
Getty ImagesThe company is known for its craft beers and IPAs and has breweries and pubs across the globe, including 71 in the the UK, of which 17 are in Scotland.
It also has bars in Dubai, the US and Australia.
In 2021 former workers used an open letter to highlight what they said was a “culture of fear” within the business and “toxic attitudes” to junior staff.
The following year several ex-Brewdog staff accused founder and former CEO Watt of inappropriate behaviour in a BBC Disclosure investigation.
Lawyers for Mr Watt said the allegations were false – but Ofcom rejected complaints that Brewdog and Watt were unfairly treated by the programme.
In January last year the firm also faced a backlash after revealing it would no longer hire new staff on the real living wage, instead paying the lower legal minimum wage.
Mr Watt stood down as CEO last year and moved to the newly-created position of “captain and co-founder” but retained his shares in the company.
Martin Dickie is also retaining his shares in the company.
Last month, it emerged his start-up, Waterside Pharmaceuticals, is about to harvest its first full crop at its facility in Aberdeenshire.
The company last year secured a Controlled Drugs Licence from the Home Office to cultivate cannabis starter material for medicine production.
Up to 60,000 patients a month in the UK are currently estimated to be prescribed medical cannabis, following legislative changes in 2018.
Mr Dickie told Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce his aim was to become the UK market leader.
He added the company was “on a mission to provide safe, efficacious and cost-effective medicine that can help thousands of people”.
Business
Asian stocks today: Markets inch higher mirroring Wall Street gains; Kospi jumps 10%, Nikkei up 1,400 points – The Times of India
Asian stocks inched higher on Thursday, after days of trading in red amid ongoing Middle East tensions. This comes as equities were lifted by a rebound on Wall Street as oil prices paused their recent spike and economic updates painted a more positive picture of the American economy. In South Korea, Kospi hit a pause on its downward rally to add a whopping 10% or 513 points, to reach 5,606. Japan’s Nikkei 225 also climbed 2.7% to 55,713. Hong Kong’s HSI also traded in green, rising 353 points to 25,603 as of 9:10 am. Shanghai and Shenzhen added 0.9% and 1.7% respectively. Gains elsewhere in the region were more modest. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.3% to 8,927.20, while New Zealand’s benchmark index moved 0.9% higher. In contrast, US futures indicated a subdued start ahead. Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were almost unchanged, while S&P 500 futures ticked up 0.2%. The S&P 500 advanced 0.8% on Wednesday, clawing back much of the decline seen since the onset of the Iran conflict. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite outperformed with a 1.3% gain. Globally, market sentiment has remained sensitive to developments in the Middle East, with oil price swings continuing to steer trading direction. Crude prices eased during Wednesday’s session. Brent crude briefly moved above $84 a barrel before settling at $81.40, roughly matching the previous day’s level. US benchmark crude edged up 0.1% to finish at $74.66 per barrel. By early Thursday, however, oil was on the rise again. Brent crude climbed 2.4% to $83.32 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude jumped 2.5% to $76.53 per barrel.
It is also the first time the target has been lowered since it was cut to “around 5%” in 2023.
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World’s Second-Largest Shipping Firm Maersk Suspends Cargo Bookings Across West Asia Amid War
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Maersk has halted cargo bookings to several West Asian ports due to war disruptions. Affected ports include UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, most of Oman, and two in Saudi.
Maersk cited regional conflict and personnel safety as it suspended cargo bookings across West Asia, signalling growing disruption to global trade routes. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
Maersk, the world’s second-largest container shipping company that handles a significant share of global trade, said it has suspended cargo bookings to and from several ports in the West Asia region as the ongoing war begins to disrupt global shipping routes.
The company on Wednesday said it will no longer accept cargo bookings involving ports in the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, most of Oman and two ports in Saudi Arabia, according to a report by Barron’s.
However, the suspension will not apply to shipments of critical food supplies, medicines and other essential goods, which will continue to move through the region.
Maersk said the decision was part of operational measures aimed at protecting personnel and safeguarding cargo amid the escalating conflict.
“We are taking operational measures to ensure the safety of our personnel, safeguard your cargo and maintain service stability across affected trades in the Middle East,” the company said in a statement accessed by Barron’s.
Maersk had earlier announced that it would reroute vessels bound for the Suez Canal around the southern tip of Africa and suspend all vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz as tensions escalate in the region.
The changes mean ships travelling between Asia and Europe may now take longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope, adding time and cost to global shipping, the news agency said in its report.
Financial markets also reacted to the development. Shares of Maersk traded in Denmark fell nearly 2% on Wednesday following the announcement.
The disruption comes as insurance providers pause coverage for vessels operating in parts of the Gulf amid the intensifying conflict.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States Navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary, as concerns mount over energy supply disruptions.
Copenhagen, Denmark
March 05, 2026, 02:15 IST
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