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The boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the UK might have reached maximum pizza demand while expanding the company into chicken products has been ousted after disagreements with its directors.

Leadership Change

Rennie is exiting after only 24 months in charge, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's looks for a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who served at the company for over 20 years, had attempted to pivot the UK's biggest pizza food delivery firm towards chicken offerings, stating earlier this month there was not “huge potential” left in the UK's pizza market. He noted poultry was the fastest-growing menu item in the world.

Governance Friction

Sources suggest that there was friction between Rennie and the governance team over his strategy and management style, although Domino's announcement said he was departing “through mutual consent”.

Recent Brand Introduction

In the autumn, Domino's unveiled its Chick 'N' Dip offering – which the former chief referred to as a “bold new chapter” for the group – and is testing it in select stores in the North West region and the province.

While the firm is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores next year as intended, it considers chicken products as complementary to its core pizza business.

Board Comment

Bull, the company chairman, stated: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to drive further growth and performance improvement in the main pizza segment. We are concentrating on selecting the right chief executive to direct the systematic rollout of that expansion plan.”

Market Difficulties

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said orders dipped by one and a half percent in the Q3. In the summer, it warned that the food delivery sector had “intensified” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the government announcement and increasing labor expenses for below-target performance and a 15% drop in half-year profits.

Competitors are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut disclosed the closure of dozens of outlets a month ago, after the business behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Wellness Efforts

Responding to market shifts towards better nutrition, Domino's has introduced reduced-calorie items, such as its thin-crust line of bakes below 400 calories as well as plant-based and wheat-free options. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 calories. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171, while a personal has under 1,000 calories.

Acting Management

The interim chief has been with Domino's since 2021, and previously worked for the betting firm a well-known operator. It is understood that she is not seeking to assume the chief executive role on a full-time basis.

Frampton stated: “We have a several active development and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to implementing at speed.”

She said these involved further work on the organization's supply chain and new item creation, and its loyalty scheme.

Domino's is also lacking a permanent chief financial officer until 16 March, when a new appointee joins from the drinks company a well-known firm. In the meantime, Snow serves as acting financial officer.