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A chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the United Kingdom might have reached pizza saturation while broadening the company into fried chicken has been replaced after disagreements with its directors.

Executive Change

The former CEO is exiting after a brief tenure in the top role, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the company's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a new leader.

Rennie, who worked for Domino's for over 20 years, had aimed to shift Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards fried chicken, commenting in a recent interview there was not “significant expansion” left in the UK's pizza market. He observed chicken was the quickest rising protein in the globe.

Board Disagreements

Reports indicate that there was friction between Rennie and the board over his focus and business vision, although the company's release said he was leaving “through mutual consent”.

Recent Brand Introduction

In the autumn, the chain launched its poultry brand – which Rennie called a “major strategic shift” for the group – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the business is still going to roll it out across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as scheduled, it considers chicken products as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Board Statement

The Domino's chair, the company chairman, stated: “Directors think that there are a number of opportunities to drive further growth and value creation in Domino's core business. We are focused on finding the ideal CEO to lead the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Industry Difficulties

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said orders declined by one and a half percent in the latest quarter. In August, it warned that the food delivery sector had “become tougher” as it blamed economic uncertainty in the run-up to the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15% drop in interim earnings.

Other pizza operators are also struggling. Pizza Hut revealed the closure of 68 restaurants a recently, after the business behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Health Efforts

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards healthier eating, the company has launched lower-calorie items, such as its Thin & Crispy selection of bakes below 400 kcals as well as vegan and gluten-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171, while a individual has 909 kcal.

Interim Management

The interim chief has been with Domino's since 2021, and had a background at the betting firm a well-known operator. It is understood that she does not want to assume the chief executive role long-term.

Frampton stated: “We have a number of current growth and performance initiatives that we will be dedicated to executing at a rapid rate.”

Frampton noted these comprised additional efforts on the company's procurement system and product development, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also without a full-time finance director until 16 March, when Andy Andrea joins from the drinks company C&C Group. For now, Richard Snow is interim finance chief.