JD Sports chief walks off with German Donor Kebab role

Fast-casual restaurant chain German Doner Kebab is aiming for a slice of retail expertise with the appointment of JD Sports’ executive Chris Waters as its new chief marketing officer.

Waters, who brings almost two decades of FMCG and fashion retail experience, takes up the role with immediate effect.

He had been at the sports retailing giant since 2022, initially joining as UK retail marketing director before being promoted to brand marketing director across the UK and Europe in April 2023, responsible for managing budgets across both regions, overseeing campaign planning and media investment.

Waters (pictured) had joined JD from Morrisons, where he was head of in-store marketing; prior to that he spent nearly eight years at Asda in a range of senior marketing roles.

Lucky Generals is the brand’s agency-of-record and is responsible for major creative campaigns, including the “Doners worthy of the daylight” campaign launched in 2024 to reposition kebabs for daytime dining.

While tracing its roots to a German doner concept from 1989, the modern German Donor Kebab brand was founded in Dubai in 2013 and Hero Brands acquired a majority share in 2017. It is now headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, operating globally.

The company, which serves a modern version of the doner kebab, featuring premium lean meats, fresh vegetables, signature sauces, and their distinctive waffle bread, is aiming for rapid expansion.

It currently has over 160 locations worldwide, with a significant presence in the UK, the Middle East, and North America, with plans to open 300 UK restaurants and hit £400m in sales by 2028.

On LinkedIn, Waters said: “This feels like a great time for me to be joining the business. I am looking forward to meeting my team, along with the wider GDK network.”