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A chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while expanding the chain into chicken products has been removed after conflicts with its governing body.

Leadership Shake-Up

Andrew Rennie is exiting after a brief tenure in leadership, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the organization's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's seeks a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who was with the company for more than two decades, had attempted to shift Britain's leading pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, remarking recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the British pizza industry. He said chicken was the fastest-growing protein in the international market.

Board Friction

Reports indicate that there was tension between Rennie and the governance team over his approach and management style, although Domino's announcement said he was stepping down “through mutual consent”.

New Product Launch

In September, Domino's unveiled its Chick 'N' Dip brand – which the former chief described as a “major strategic shift” for the company – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and the province.

While the business is still intending to launch it across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as planned, it views fried chicken as an addition to its core pizza business.

Board Comment

The Domino's chair, the company chair, commented: “The board believes that there are a number of opportunities to drive further growth and profitability in the main pizza segment. We are concentrating on identifying the right chief executive to lead the careful implementation of that expansion plan.”

Market Challenges

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said sales fell by 1.5% in the latest quarter. In the summer, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “grown more challenging” as it blamed reduced spending in the run-up to the budget and increasing labor expenses for weaker-than-expected sales and a significant fall in half-year profits.

Competitors are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut revealed the closing of 68 restaurants a recently, after the company behind its British operations entered insolvency.

Health Efforts

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards better nutrition, the company has launched light options, such as its thin-crust selection of bakes below 400 calories as well as vegan and allergy-friendly pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has 2,171, while a individual has 909 calories.

Acting Management

The interim chief has been with the company since 2021, and had a background at the gambling company a well-known operator. It is understood that she prefers not to occupy the chief executive role long-term.

She commented: “Our team has a number of ongoing development and operational projects that we will be concentrating on implementing at a rapid rate.”

Frampton noted these comprised ongoing development on the company's logistics network and menu innovation, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also lacking a full-time CFO until 16 March, when Andrea starts from the drinks company a well-known firm. For now, Richard Snow serves as interim finance chief.