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A head of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the UK might have hit pizza saturation while diversifying the company into poultry items has been ousted after disagreements with its board.

Leadership 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, Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a long-term chief.

The outgoing executive, who worked for the company for over 20 years, had sought to pivot Britain's largest pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, remarking recently there was not “huge potential” left in the UK's pizza market. He said chicken was the fastest-growing food category in the international market.

Governance Friction

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

Recent Product Launch

In September, Domino's unveiled its poultry product line – which the former chief called a “significant new phase” for the group – and is piloting it in 210 outlets in the North West region and the province.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as scheduled, it views fried chicken as an addition to its core pizza business.

Board Statement

Ian Bull, the Domino's chairman, said: “Directors think that there are a number of opportunities to enhance value and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are focused on identifying the right chief executive to lead the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”

Market Challenges

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said orders fell by 1.5% in the latest quarter. In the summer, it alerted that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it attributed reduced spending in the run-up to the government announcement and increasing labor expenses for disappointing revenue and a 15 percent decline in interim earnings.

Other pizza operators are also struggling. Pizza Hut revealed the closing of multiple locations a recently, after the company behind its British operations fell into administration.

Health Initiatives

Trying to keep up with consumer trends towards healthier eating, the company has launched lower-calorie products, such as its thin-crust selection of pizzas below 400 kcal as well as vegan and wheat-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has over 2,300 kcal. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a small has 909 kcal.

Acting Leadership

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and was formerly with the betting firm William Hill. It is understood that she is not seeking to take on the top job long-term.

She said: “The company has a multiple ongoing growth and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to carrying out at pace.”

She said these involved further work on the organization's supply chain and product development, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also in need of a long-term chief financial officer until 16 March, when a new appointee joins from the beverage producer C&C Group. In the meantime, Snow serves as acting financial officer.