German Doner Kebab hires former Greene King MD as CEO
German Doner Kebab (GDK) has appointed Wayne Shurvinton as its new chief executive, replacing Simon Wallis who is stepping down from the role. The company says Shurvinton brings extensive senior leadership experience from the restaurant, franchise, and hospitality sectors, with a career that includes roles at Greene King, KFC, and Pizza Hut within Yum Brands.
Experience across major chains
During his time with Yum Brands, Shurvinton held a number of senior operational, franchise, development and international leadership positions. At KFC UK & Ireland, he worked with the brand’s franchise network before becoming acquisitions director, responsible for development strategy, capital deployment, acquisitions and estate growth.
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He later served as chief operating officer for KFC MENAPAKT, with responsibility across 11 countries and around 800 restaurants. Before joining GDK, Shurvinton held senior leadership roles at Greene King, initially as MD of pub partners and subsequently as MD of partnerships and ventures.
In that latter role, he had responsibility for a portfolio of around 1,200 business units across franchise pubs, hotels and restaurant brands. He also served as chief customer officer for Pizza Hut UK & Europe, overseeing operations, digital, IT, quality assurance and customer experience across approximately 1,500 restaurants in 27 countries.
Focusing on franchise relationships
“We are delighted to welcome Wayne to GDK as our new CEO,” said GDK chair Jim Slater. “His deep understanding of franchise partnerships is particularly important to GDK. He understands that the most successful franchise businesses are built on strong relationships, shared economics, operational excellence and a relentless focus on the customer. GDK has established itself as the UK’s leading premium kebab brand and there is a significant opportunity to build on that position. Wayne’s experience in developing and scaling franchise businesses, combined with his commercial and operational leadership, makes him ideally suited to lead GDK through its next phase of growth.”
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Shurvinton said: “I am hugely excited to be joining GDK. It is a distinctive brand with a compelling product, a strong network of franchise partners and considerable potential for further growth in the UK and internationally. My immediate priority will be to spend time with our franchise partners, restaurant teams and colleagues across the business, listening and learning, while ensuring we continue to deliver an outstanding experience for our customers.”
Chairman Slater also thanked the outgoing CEO. “On behalf of the board, I would also like to thank Simon for his significant contribution to GDK. During his tenure, the business has strengthened its position as the UK’s leading premium kebab brand, expanded its restaurant estate in the UK and internationally, enhanced its operational capabilities, overseen the sale of a majority stake in the business to True and laid the foundations for future growth. We are grateful for his leadership, commitment and contribution to the business, and we wish him every success for the future.”
