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The boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the United Kingdom might have hit pizza saturation while expanding the chain into poultry items has been ousted after conflicts with its directors.

Leadership Shake-Up

Andrew Rennie is leaving after only 24 months in the top role, and will be succeeded on an interim basis by the company's chief operating officer, Frampton, while Domino's searches for a long-term chief.

The outgoing executive, who worked for Domino's for over 20 years, had aimed to pivot the UK's leading pizza food delivery firm towards chicken offerings, remarking in a recent interview there was not “huge potential” left in the UK's pizza market. He noted poultry was the fastest-growing menu item in the world.

Governance Tensions

Sources suggest that there was friction between the CEO and the governance team over his approach and direction, although Domino's release said he was departing “through mutual consent”.

New Brand Launch

In September, the chain introduced its poultry product line – which Rennie called a “significant new phase” for the company – and is trialling it in over 200 locations in the north-west of England and the province.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its nearly 1,400 branches in the coming year as planned, it considers fried chicken as an addition to its primary pizza operations.

Leadership Comment

Ian Bull, the Domino's chairman, commented: “Directors think that there are a series of prospects to enhance value and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing identifying the suitable leader to oversee the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Market Difficulties

Recently, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said sales dipped by 1.5 percent in the latest quarter. In August, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “grown more challenging” as it blamed economic uncertainty in the run-up to the budget and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a 15% drop in half-year profits.

Competitors are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain announced the closing of multiple locations a month ago, after the firm behind its outlets faced financial collapse.

Wellness Efforts

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards better nutrition, Domino's has launched reduced-calorie products, such as its thin-crust selection of bakes below 400 kcals as well as vegan and gluten-free options. A family-sized pepperoni has over 2,300 kcal. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a personal has 909 calories.

Interim Leadership

Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and previously worked for the gambling company William Hill. It is thought that she does not want to take on the top job permanently.

She said: “We have a multiple active expansion and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to implementing at pace.”

She said these involved further work on the organization's procurement system and product development, and its loyalty scheme.

The pizza chain is also in need of a long-term chief financial officer until 16 March, when Andy Andrea starts from the beverage producer C&C Group. Until then, Richard Snow is acting financial officer.