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The boss of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the United Kingdom might have hit pizza saturation while diversifying the chain into poultry items has been removed after conflicts with its governing body.

Executive Transition

The former CEO is exiting after just two years in leadership, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant searches for a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who was with Domino's for more than two decades, had aimed to shift Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards fried chicken, remarking earlier this month there was not “significant expansion” left in the UK's pizza market. He said poultry was the fastest-growing protein in the world.

Governance Disagreements

Sources suggest that there was friction between Rennie and the board over his strategy and management style, although Domino's official statement said he was stepping down “through mutual consent”.

New Product Launch

In the autumn, Domino's introduced its poultry brand – which Rennie described as a “significant new phase” for the company – and is piloting it in select stores in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as planned, it views fried chicken as a supplement for its core pizza business.

Board Statement

Bull, the Domino's chairman, said: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to boost expansion and performance improvement in the main pizza segment. We are focused on identifying the ideal CEO to oversee the disciplined execution of that development approach.”

Market Challenges

Recently, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said sales fell by 1.5 percent in the third quarter. In August, it warned that the food delivery sector had “become tougher” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the period before the budget and higher payroll outlays for below-target performance and a 15% drop in six-month income.

Competitors are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut disclosed the shutting of dozens of outlets a recently, after the firm behind its outlets fell into administration.

Wellness Initiatives

Adapting to consumer trends towards balanced diets, Domino's has introduced light products, such as its Thin & Crispy range of pizzas below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and gluten-free options. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has over 2,100, while a small has 909 kcal.

Acting Leadership

The interim chief has been with the company since 2021, and previously worked for the gaming group a well-known operator. It is understood that she is not seeking to occupy the chief executive role long-term.

Frampton stated: “Our team has a number of ongoing growth and performance initiatives that we will be focused on implementing at pace.”

She added these involved further work on the organization's supply chain and product development, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also lacking a full-time finance director until the spring, when a new appointee starts from the drinks company C&C Group. In the meantime, Richard Snow acts as interim finance chief.