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The head of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the United Kingdom might have reached maximum pizza demand while broadening the company into chicken products has been removed after disagreements with its directors.

Executive Shake-Up

The former CEO is leaving after just two years in charge, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the organization's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's searches for a new leader.

Rennie, who was with the company for over 20 years, had sought to pivot the UK's leading pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, stating in a recent interview there was not “massive growth” left in the British pizza industry. He noted poultry was the quickest rising food category in the globe.

Governance Tensions

It is understood that there was disagreement between Rennie and the board over his strategy and direction, although the company's release said he was leaving “through mutual consent”.

New Product Introduction

In the autumn, the chain unveiled its Chick 'N' Dip product line – which Rennie called a “significant new phase” for the company – and is piloting it in over 200 locations in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still intending to launch it across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as intended, it regards fried chicken as a supplement for its core pizza business.

Board Comment

The Domino's chair, the Domino's chairman, said: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to enhance value and profitability in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing finding the right chief executive to lead the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”

Industry Difficulties

Recently, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said sales fell by 1.5 percent in the Q3. In the summer, it warned that the food delivery sector had “grown more challenging” as it attributed reduced spending in the run-up to the budget and rising wage costs for disappointing revenue and a significant fall in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut disclosed the shutting of multiple locations a month ago, after the business behind its UK venues fell into administration.

Health Initiatives

Adapting to market shifts towards balanced diets, Domino's has rolled out reduced-calorie products, such as its light base line of bakes below 400 calories as well as vegan and wheat-free options. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has 2,171, while a personal has under 1,000 calories.

Interim Management

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and previously worked for the betting firm William Hill. It is thought that she is not seeking to occupy the chief executive role permanently.

Frampton stated: “We have a several current expansion and operational projects that we will be focused on implementing at pace.”

She said these included further work on the company's supply chain and product development, and its loyalty scheme.

The pizza chain is also without a long-term finance director until the spring, when Andrea starts from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. Until then, Snow acts as temporary CFO.