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A head of Domino's Pizza Group who indicated the UK might have reached maximum pizza demand while expanding the chain into fried chicken has been ousted after disagreements with its board.

Leadership Change

Rennie is departing after only 24 months in the top role, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a long-term chief.

Rennie, who worked for the company for over 20 years, had aimed to pivot the UK's biggest pizza delivery company towards poultry-based products, commenting in a recent interview there was not “massive growth” left in the UK's pizza market. He observed poultry was the quickest rising food category in the international market.

Governance Disagreements

Reports indicate that there was friction between the CEO and the directors over his focus and direction, although Domino's release said he was departing “as a joint decision”.

Recent Product Introduction

In the autumn, the chain unveiled its poultry offering – which Rennie called a “major strategic shift” for the company – and is piloting 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 scheduled, it views fried chicken as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

Bull, the company chair, commented: “The board believes that there are a series of prospects to enhance value and profitability in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing selecting the ideal CEO to oversee the careful implementation of that development approach.”

Industry Difficulties

Recently, Domino's, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said orders fell by 1.5% in the Q3. In the summer, it warned that the quick-service industry had “intensified” as it blamed reduced spending in the period before the budget and increasing labor expenses for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15 percent decline in six-month income.

Rival chains are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain disclosed the closure of 68 restaurants a month ago, after the firm behind its outlets entered insolvency.

Health Initiatives

Trying to keep up with market shifts towards balanced diets, the company has introduced lower-calorie options, such as its light base range of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as vegan and allergy-friendly pizzas. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a personal has 909 calories.

Interim Management

Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and was formerly with the betting firm William Hill. It is believed that she is not seeking to occupy the top job long-term.

Frampton stated: “Our team has a number of active development and efficiency programs that we will be focused on carrying out at a rapid rate.”

She added these included further work on the company's logistics network and menu innovation, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also in need of a full-time finance director until March 16, when Andrea comes aboard from the beverage producer a well-known firm. For now, Richard Snow is temporary CFO.