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The chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the United Kingdom might have hit maximum pizza demand while broadening the company into chicken products has been replaced after conflicts with its directors.

Executive Transition

Rennie is exiting after just two years in charge, and will be succeeded on an interim basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's seeks a long-term chief.

The outgoing executive, who was with the company for over 20 years, had aimed to pivot the UK's biggest pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, stating in a recent interview there was not “huge potential” left in the UK's pizza market. He observed poultry was the quickest rising food category in the globe.

Board Friction

Reports indicate that there was friction between the CEO and the governance team over his approach and business vision, although Domino's announcement said he was departing “by mutual agreement”.

Recent Product Introduction

In September, the chain launched its poultry product line – which Rennie called a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its extensive network in 2026 as intended, it considers chicken products as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

The Domino's chair, the Domino's chairman, commented: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to enhance value and value creation in the main pizza segment. We are prioritizing identifying the ideal CEO to lead the careful implementation of that development approach.”

Industry Challenges

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said sales dipped by one and a half percent in the third quarter. In August, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “grown more challenging” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the lead-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15% drop in six-month income.

Competitors are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut disclosed the shutting of dozens of outlets a recently, after the firm behind its UK venues entered insolvency.

Wellness Efforts

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards balanced diets, Domino's has introduced reduced-calorie options, such as its Thin & Crispy range of bakes below 400 kcal as well as meat-free and gluten-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a small has under 1,000 calories.

Acting Leadership

Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and was formerly with the gambling company William Hill. It is believed that she does not want to take on the top job long-term.

She said: “Our team has a number of current development and performance initiatives that we will be concentrating on carrying out at a rapid rate.”

She said these comprised additional efforts on the company's logistics network and new item creation, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also without a long-term CFO until the spring, when Andrea starts from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. For now, Richard Snow is acting financial officer.