Who are BrewDog founders James Watt and Martin Dickie?
James Watt and Martin Dickie started up their own brewery on a Fraserburgh industrial estate in 2007, when they were both 24-years-old. Searching around for something to name the company, they decided on BrewDog simply because Watts father Jim had recently bought a puppy. It has since become one of the most recognisable brands in British brewing, with stripped-back bars featuring plenty of neon light and bare metal to be found as far away as Brisbane and Indianapolis. James Watt  Currently chief executive of BrewDog, James Watt has also acted as the public face of the brewery throughout most of its lifetime. Coming from a family of fisherman, he would regularly help out his father on his fishing boat in the North Sea before starting up the company. In 2004, he graduated from Edinburgh University with a degree in law and economics, later finding a job as a trainee solicitor but quitting after just two weeks. He founded BrewDog with Dickie three years later, and after floundering for the first six months or so, the business found its feet when Tesco put in a large order to sell its beer nationwide. Watt has been at the front of many of the companys notorious publicity stunts, such as serving a 55% proof beer in bottles made from stuffed stoats and squirrels  which Advocates for Animals branded a perverse idea and stupid marketing gimmick. Such controversy is typical of BrewDogs headline-grabbing publicity strategy. Watt was one of the main targets of an open letter written by former company employees and published on Twitter on Wednesday. A passage addressed directly to him claims: Your attitude and actions are at the heart of the way BrewDog is perceived, from both inside and out. By valuing growth, speed and action above all else, your company has achieved incredible things, but at the expense of those who delivered your dreams. In the wake of your success are people left burnt out, afraid and miserable. The true culture of BrewDog is, and seemingly always has been, fear.  I wanted to share a quick update on the open letter from former BrewDog team members. pic.twitter.com/yKPtKpfUmM  James Watt (@BrewDogJames) June 10, 2021  In his response, Watt apologised and said: Its hard to hear those comments, but it must have been harder to say them. We appreciate that and we will endeavour to honour that effort and courage with the real change it deserves. We arent going to make excuses, were going to take action. From our commitment to sustainability to our passion for beer, BrewDog has always been defined by taking responsibility and continually improving. This is no exception.  Martin Dickie  Also from Aberdeenshire, Martin Dickie has not been as prominent in BrewDogs campaigns as his business partner. However, it was his expertise that provided the nascent company with a product to sell. After growing up close to each other, Dickie was Watts flatmate when they both lived in the capital  but while his friend studied at Edinburgh University, Dickie was at Heriot-Watt studying distilling. He spent several years after graduation working in different distilleries and breweries, including one in England, before the pair began their venture in Fraserburgh. Although less front-and-centre than Watt, Dickie has participated in some of BrewDogs outlandish gimmicks  including riding an Abbott 433 tank through the streets of Camden to mark the opening of their first bar in England. In December last year, he launched his own CBD brand called HBHM (Happy Body Happy Mind). According to a Forbes article published in January last year, Dickies 20% stake in BrewDog is worth around $400 million, while Watts 24% is worth about $480 million. He is also not as prominent in the scathing letter written by the former employees, calling themselves Punks With Purpose  but he does get one mention. The letter reads: BrewDog was, and is, built on a cult of personality. Since day one, you have sought to exploit publicity, both good and bad (and usually with the faces of James and Martin front and centre) to further your own business goals.