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A chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the United Kingdom might have reached pizza saturation while broadening the chain into chicken products has been removed after tensions with its board.

Executive Change

The former CEO is leaving after just two years in leadership, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the organization's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's looks for a long-term chief.

Rennie, who was with Domino's for a substantial period, had aimed to shift Britain's biggest pizza delivery company towards poultry-based products, commenting in a recent interview there was not “massive growth” left in the British pizza industry. He observed poultry was the quickest rising menu item in the international market.

Board Friction

Sources suggest that there was tension between the CEO and the governance team over his focus and direction, although the company's official statement said he was departing “as a joint decision”.

Recent Product Introduction

In the autumn, the chain introduced its Chick 'N' Dip offering – which the former chief called a “major strategic shift” for the organization – and is testing it in select stores in the north-west of England and the province.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its nearly 1,400 branches in the coming year as planned, it regards chicken products as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Board Statement

Bull, the company chair, said: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to enhance value and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing identifying the right chief executive to direct the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Industry Difficulties

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said orders dipped by one and a half percent in the Q3. In the summer, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “become tougher” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the budget and higher payroll outlays for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15 percent decline in interim earnings.

Competitors are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain announced the closing of dozens of outlets a last month, after the firm behind its UK venues entered insolvency.

Wellness Efforts

Responding to customer preferences towards better nutrition, the company has launched light options, such as its thin-crust range of bakes below 400 kcal as well as vegan and allergy-friendly pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has over 2,100, while a personal has under 1,000 calories.

Interim Management

Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and previously worked for the betting firm a well-known operator. It is thought that she prefers not to take on the chief executive role long-term.

She commented: “Our team has a multiple current growth and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to executing at speed.”

Frampton noted these included further work on the organization's supply chain and menu innovation, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also in need of a full-time finance director until the spring, when Andrea joins from the drinks company C&C Group. For now, Snow acts as interim finance chief.