KEIGHLEY brewery Timothy Taylor has appointed a new chief executive officer.

Tim Dewey , an American with dual British citizenship, will take up the post in December.

He succeeds Charles Dent, who is retiring after 22 years.

Mr Dewey has held a number of senior roles within the food and drinks industry, and in his early career received marketing and business grounding with Unilever.

For the past four years, he has been global marketing director and UK commercial director with the Drambuie Liqueur Company.

During that time he was responsible for the development and implementation of the 'A Taste of the Extraordinary' campaign.

Mr Dewey's CV also includes a spell as international marketing director of William Grant & Sons, the family-owned business famous for Glenfiddich whisky.

The father-of-two's new appointment with the Knowle Spring company has been welcomed by Mr Dent.

"I’m very much looking forward to working with Tim to drive the future growth of Timothy Taylor’s," he said.

"We regard ourselves as being extremely lucky to have found someone with such vast experience and the relevant complementary skills.

"Tim joins us when we have just completed a £12 million investment in the development of the brewery and when our bitter, Boltmaker, has recently been crowned CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain."

Mr Dewey, who has lived in the UK for nearly 30 years, said: "I am delighted to be joining Timothy Taylor’s at such an exciting time for the business and look forward to building on all the excellent work and achievements of Charles Dent and his team.”

In another board room change, Mr Dent is taking over as non-executive chairman from Nigel Bankes, who will retire at the company’s annual general meeting on December 12.

Outside work, Mr Dewey's main interest is tennis. He was ranked as a junior in the US and still enjoys playing competitively.