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A head of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while broadening the chain into fried chicken has been removed after conflicts with its board.

Leadership Transition

The former CEO is departing after just two years in charge, and will be succeeded on an interim basis by the organization's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a new leader.

The outgoing executive, who was with the company for a substantial period, had sought to shift Britain's leading pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, commenting in a recent interview there was not “huge potential” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He observed chicken was the fastest-growing food category in the globe.

Board Friction

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

Recent Brand Launch

In September, Domino's introduced its chicken-focused offering – which the former chief described as a “bold new chapter” for the group – and is testing it in select stores in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the business is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores next year as scheduled, it views chicken products as complementary to its primary pizza operations.

Board Comment

Ian Bull, the Domino's chair, said: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to enhance value and performance improvement in our primary operations. We are focused on selecting the right chief executive to oversee the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”

Market Difficulties

In the latest update, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said orders declined by 1.5% in the Q3. In August, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “intensified” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the run-up to the budget and increasing labor expenses for disappointing revenue and a significant fall in six-month income.

Other pizza operators are also facing challenges. Another major chain announced the shutting of dozens of outlets a recently, after the business behind its outlets faced financial collapse.

Wellness Initiatives

Responding to consumer trends towards healthier eating, Domino's has rolled out light items, such as its thin-crust range of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as vegan and wheat-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 kcals. A large cheese and tomato pizza has over 2,100, while a personal has under 1,000 calories.

Acting Leadership

Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and previously worked for the gambling company a well-known operator. It is thought that she is not seeking to take on the chief executive role on a full-time basis.

She commented: “The company has a several active development and operational projects that we will be focused on carrying out at speed.”

She added these involved ongoing development on the organization's supply chain and menu innovation, and its customer retention initiative.

The pizza chain is also in need of a long-term chief financial officer until the spring, when a new appointee comes aboard from the drinks company C&C Group. In the meantime, Snow serves as acting financial officer.