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A chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the United Kingdom might have hit pizza saturation while diversifying the chain into poultry items has been replaced after conflicts with its board.

Leadership Change

Andrew Rennie is exiting after only 24 months in the top role, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Frampton, while Domino's searches for a new leader.

The outgoing executive, who worked for Domino's for a substantial period, had attempted to pivot the UK's leading pizza takeaway chain towards chicken offerings, commenting earlier this month there was not “significant expansion” left in the British pizza industry. He said poultry was the quickest rising protein in the globe.

Board Friction

Sources suggest that there was disagreement between Rennie and the board over his strategy and direction, although Domino's release said he was departing “by mutual agreement”.

Recent Brand Launch

In the autumn, Domino's launched its Chick 'N' Dip offering – which the former chief described as a “major strategic shift” for the organization – and is piloting it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and the province.

While the company is still intending to launch it across its extensive network in the coming year as scheduled, it views chicken products as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Comment

Ian Bull, the company chairman, said: “Directors think that there are a series of prospects to boost expansion and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on selecting the ideal CEO to oversee the careful implementation of that development approach.”

Industry Challenges

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said orders dipped by one and a half percent in the latest quarter. In the summer, it warned that the quick-service industry had “become tougher” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the government announcement and increasing labor expenses for below-target performance and a 15 percent decline in half-year profits.

Competitors are also struggling. Pizza Hut announced the closure of 68 restaurants a recently, after the company behind its UK venues fell into administration.

Wellness Initiatives

Responding to market shifts towards healthier eating, the company has launched lower-calorie products, such as its light base range of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as meat-free and gluten-free options. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 calories. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a individual has 909 kcal.

Interim Management

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and had a background at the betting firm William Hill. It is thought that she does not want to take on the CEO position on a full-time basis.

She commented: “We have a several ongoing growth and performance initiatives that we will be concentrating on executing at pace.”

Frampton noted these included ongoing development on the company's logistics network and new item creation, and its customer retention initiative.

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