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A chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who indicated the UK might have reached maximum pizza demand while expanding the franchise into poultry items has been removed after conflicts with its board.

Leadership Shake-Up

Rennie is departing after only 24 months in leadership, 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.

Rennie, who served at the company for a substantial period, had attempted to shift Britain's biggest pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, commenting earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He observed chicken was the fastest-growing food category in the globe.

Board Friction

Reports indicate that there was disagreement between the CEO and the directors over his strategy and direction, although the company's announcement said he was departing “through mutual consent”.

Recent Product Introduction

In September, the chain launched its Chick 'N' Dip offering – which the former chief called a “major strategic shift” for the group – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the North West region and the province.

While the company is still going to roll it out across its nearly 1,400 branches next year as scheduled, it regards chicken products as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Board Comment

Ian Bull, the Domino's chair, stated: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to drive further growth and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing finding the right chief executive to lead the systematic rollout of that expansion plan.”

Industry Difficulties

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said transactions fell by 1.5% in the third quarter. In August, it warned that the quick-service industry had “become tougher” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the lead-up to the budget and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a significant fall in six-month income.

Other pizza operators are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain revealed the closing of 68 restaurants a recently, after the company behind its outlets faced financial collapse.

Wellness Initiatives

Responding to market shifts towards balanced diets, Domino's has launched reduced-calorie items, such as its thin-crust selection of bakes below 400 kcals as well as vegan and allergy-friendly options. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 kcals. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171, while a personal has under 1,000 calories.

Interim Leadership

The interim chief has been with Domino's since the recent past, and was formerly with the gambling company a well-known operator. It is understood that she is not seeking to take on the top job long-term.

She said: “Our team has a multiple active development and performance initiatives that we will be dedicated to executing at pace.”

She added these involved further work on the organization's supply chain and new item creation, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also without a permanent chief financial officer until the spring, when a new appointee joins from the beverage producer a well-known firm. For now, Richard Snow acts as interim finance chief.