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A chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the UK might have reached pizza saturation while expanding the chain into poultry items has been replaced after tensions with its governing body.

Executive Transition

The former CEO is exiting after just two years in charge, and will be succeeded on an interim basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who worked for the company for more than two decades, had aimed to pivot the UK's biggest pizza takeaway chain towards poultry-based products, commenting recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted poultry was the fastest-growing protein in the international market.

Governance Friction

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

New Brand Introduction

In September, the chain launched its poultry brand – which the former chief described as a “significant new phase” for the company – and is testing it in select stores 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 the coming year as planned, it views chicken products as a supplement for its core pizza business.

Board Statement

The Domino's chair, the company chairman, stated: “Directors think that there are a range of possibilities to drive further growth and performance improvement in our primary operations. We are prioritizing identifying the right chief executive to lead the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Industry Difficulties

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said sales dipped by 1.5 percent in the Q3. In August, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “intensified” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the government announcement and increasing labor expenses for below-target performance and a 15 percent decline in interim earnings.

Other pizza operators are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain revealed the shutting of dozens of outlets a month ago, after the firm behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Wellness Efforts

Adapting to consumer trends towards balanced diets, the company has introduced lower-calorie items, such as its Thin & Crispy line of pizzas below 400 calories as well as plant-based 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 calories.

Interim Management

Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and had a background at the gambling company a well-known operator. It is believed that she is not seeking to take on the top job on a full-time basis.

She commented: “Our team has a number of active expansion and operational projects that we will be focused on executing at speed.”

She added these involved ongoing development on the organization's supply chain and menu innovation, and its loyalty scheme.

The pizza chain is also without a full-time chief financial officer until March 16, when Andy Andrea comes aboard from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. For now, Richard Snow acts as interim finance chief.