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A boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the UK might have hit maximum pizza demand while expanding the franchise into fried chicken has been ousted after conflicts with its board.

Executive Change

Rennie is exiting after only 24 months in leadership, and will be succeeded on an acting basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who worked for Domino's for a substantial period, had attempted to redirect the UK's biggest pizza food delivery firm towards chicken offerings, commenting recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted chicken was the quickest rising protein in the world.

Governance Tensions

Sources suggest that there was disagreement between Rennie and the board over his strategy and business vision, although the company's announcement said he was departing “through mutual consent”.

Recent Brand Launch

In September, the chain introduced its chicken-focused brand – which Rennie referred to as a “significant new phase” for the company – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still going to roll it out across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as intended, it views chicken products as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Board Statement

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 our primary operations. We are prioritizing selecting the suitable leader to direct the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”

Industry Difficulties

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the UK and Ireland, said sales declined by one and a half percent in the latest quarter. In August, it alerted that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the budget and increasing labor expenses for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15% drop in six-month income.

Competitors are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain disclosed the closing of multiple locations a last month, after the firm behind its outlets fell into administration.

Wellness Efforts

Responding to customer preferences towards balanced diets, the company has rolled out lower-calorie options, such as its light base selection of bakes below 400 calories as well as plant-based and allergy-friendly pizzas. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 calories. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a individual has 909 kcal.

Interim Management

The interim chief has been with the company since the recent past, and previously worked for the gambling company a well-known operator. It is understood that she does not want to occupy the top job on a full-time basis.

She said: “We have a multiple current expansion and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to carrying out at a rapid rate.”

Frampton noted these included additional efforts on the company's logistics network and new item creation, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also in need of a permanent chief financial officer until the spring, when a new appointee starts from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. For now, Snow serves as temporary CFO.