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The head of Domino's Pizza Group who indicated the United Kingdom might have hit pizza saturation while broadening the company into poultry items has been ousted after tensions with its directors.

Leadership Transition

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

Rennie, who worked for Domino's for over 20 years, had aimed to pivot the UK's leading pizza delivery company towards fried chicken, remarking earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted chicken was the most rapidly expanding menu item in the world.

Governance Tensions

Sources suggest that there was tension between the CEO and the directors over his approach and management style, although Domino's official statement said he was leaving “through mutual consent”.

Recent Product Launch

In the autumn, the chain launched its Chick 'N' Dip offering – which Rennie referred to as a “major strategic shift” for the company – and is trialling it in over 200 locations in the North West region and the province.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its extensive network in the coming year as intended, it views fried chicken as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Board Comment

Bull, the company chairman, said: “The board believes that there are a number of opportunities to drive further growth and value creation in Domino's core business. We are focused on selecting the right chief executive to direct the careful implementation of that development approach.”

Industry Difficulties

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said sales dipped by 1.5 percent in the Q3. In August, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “become tougher” as it blamed reduced spending in the period before the budget and higher payroll outlays for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15 percent decline in interim earnings.

Competitors are also struggling. Another major chain revealed the closure of 68 restaurants a month ago, after the business behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Health Efforts

Responding to consumer trends towards balanced diets, Domino's has rolled out light options, such as its thin-crust selection of bakes below 400 kcal as well as vegan and gluten-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has over 2,300 kcal. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a personal has 909 calories.

Acting Management

Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and was formerly with the gaming group a well-known operator. It is believed that she is not seeking to assume the chief executive role long-term.

She said: “Our team has a several current development and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to executing at a rapid rate.”

She added these involved additional efforts on the organization's supply chain and menu innovation, and its loyalty scheme.

The pizza chain is also lacking a permanent finance director until 16 March, when Andy Andrea starts from the beverage producer a well-known firm. Until then, Richard Snow serves as acting financial officer.