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A boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the United Kingdom might have reached pizza saturation while broadening the chain into fried chicken has been replaced after disagreements with its board.

Leadership Shake-Up

The former CEO is departing after only 24 months in the top role, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the company's chief operating officer, Frampton, while Domino's seeks a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who was with Domino's for more than two decades, had aimed to shift Britain's biggest pizza delivery company towards poultry-based products, remarking earlier this month there was not “huge potential” left in the UK's pizza market. He observed chicken was the quickest rising menu item in the globe.

Governance Friction

Reports indicate that there was tension between Rennie and the governance team over his strategy and management style, although the company's release said he was stepping down “through mutual consent”.

New Product Introduction

In the autumn, Domino's introduced its poultry product line – which the former chief described as a “bold new chapter” for the company – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the business is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores next year as intended, it regards chicken products as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

Ian Bull, the company chairman, commented: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to drive further growth and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are focused on identifying the right chief executive to lead the careful implementation of that development approach.”

Market Difficulties

Recently, Domino's, which has millions of users in the British Isles, said sales declined by 1.5 percent in the third quarter. In the summer, it cautioned that the quick-service industry had “become tougher” as it attributed reduced spending in the period before the budget and higher payroll outlays for below-target performance and a significant fall in interim earnings.

Competitors are also facing challenges. Another major chain revealed the closing of 68 restaurants a last month, after the business behind its outlets faced financial collapse.

Health Efforts

Trying to keep up with market shifts towards healthier eating, Domino's has launched light products, such as its Thin & Crispy selection of bakes below 400 calories as well as plant-based and gluten-free pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 kcals. A family cheese pizza has over 2,100, while a small has 909 calories.

Interim Management

Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and previously worked for the gaming group William Hill. It is understood that she prefers not to take on the CEO position on a full-time basis.

She said: “We have a several active growth and operational projects that we will be focused on implementing at pace.”

She added these comprised further work on the organization's supply chain and new item creation, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also lacking a permanent chief financial officer until 16 March, when Andy Andrea starts from the beverage producer a well-known firm. Until then, Snow is interim finance chief.