Neil Simpson given key financial role as BrewDog plans further expansion

By SCOTT REID
Published on 15/08/2012 00:00

BREWDOG, the North-east craft beer maker with a growing UK presence, has appointed its first finance boss as it eyes a further leap in sales.

The Fraserburgh-based firm, whose product line-up features such quirky brews as Never Mind The Anabolics and Tactical Nuclear Penguin, said it had hired Neil Simpson as finance director as it puts the finishing touches to its new £8 million brewery in Aberdeenshire.

Simpson joins from accountancy firm Ritson Smith, where he has been an external adviser to BrewDog since just after the brewer’s launch five years ago.

James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog, said: “We’ve got more than 6,000 investors from all over the globe thanks to our ‘Equity for Punks’ programme and the appointment of Neil is a big part of our plan to ensure they see us continue to grow, continue to change minds and continue to ruffle the feathers of the soulless corporate Mafioso that dominate this industry.”

Simpson added: “BrewDog is an incredible business growing at an incredible rate and it’s very exciting to be a part of the global craft beer revolution.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with James and [co-founder] Martin [Dickie] as an adviser and my new position as FD gives me the chance to make an even bigger impact at BrewDog.”

The firm said it had increased sales by 250 per cent so far this year – a figure it hopes to match in 2013.

The new brewery, at Ellon, was partly funded by the firm’s online public offering, dubbed Equity for Punks, which raised some £2.2m. BrewDog has also opened a string of bars.