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A chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the UK might have hit maximum pizza demand while diversifying the franchise into chicken products has been removed after tensions with its governing body.

Executive Change

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

Rennie, who served at Domino's for a substantial period, had sought to shift the UK's largest pizza food delivery firm towards chicken offerings, commenting recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted poultry was the quickest rising menu item in the international market.

Governance Tensions

It is understood that there was disagreement between Rennie and the directors over his focus and management style, although the company's release said he was departing “through mutual consent”.

New Product Introduction

In September, the chain launched its chicken-focused brand – which the former chief called a “significant new phase” for the company – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the business is still planning to expand it across its extensive network in 2026 as planned, it regards chicken products as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

Bull, the company chairman, said: “Directors think that there are a number of opportunities to drive further growth and value creation in the main pizza segment. We are focused on identifying the suitable leader to direct the careful implementation of that growth strategy.”

Market Difficulties

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said transactions fell by one and a half percent in the third quarter. In August, it warned that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the budget and increasing labor expenses for below-target performance and a significant fall in six-month income.

Rival chains are also experiencing difficulties. Pizza Hut announced the closure of multiple locations a last month, after the business behind its British operations entered insolvency.

Health Initiatives

Responding to consumer trends towards balanced diets, Domino's has rolled out reduced-calorie options, such as its light base selection of pizzas below 400 kcal as well as vegan and gluten-free options. A big pepperoni bake has over 2,300 kcal. A family cheese pizza has over 2,100, while a individual has under 1,000 calories.

Interim Leadership

The interim chief has been with the company since the recent past, and had a background at the betting firm a well-known operator. It is believed that she does not want to assume the chief executive role long-term.

She commented: “We have a multiple ongoing growth and performance initiatives that we will be concentrating on executing at pace.”

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

The pizza chain is also without a permanent chief financial officer until the spring, when Andy Andrea starts from the beverage producer a well-known firm. Until then, Snow is interim finance chief.