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A chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who indicated the UK might have reached maximum pizza demand while diversifying the company into chicken products has been replaced after disagreements with its directors.

Executive Change

Rennie is departing after a brief tenure in the top role, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the company's chief operating officer, Frampton, while Domino's seeks a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who was with Domino's for over 20 years, had attempted to pivot the UK's leading pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, remarking earlier this month there was not “significant expansion” left in the UK's pizza market. He observed poultry was the quickest rising food category in the world.

Governance Tensions

Sources suggest that there was disagreement between the CEO and the directors over his strategy and management style, although Domino's official statement said he was departing “through mutual consent”.

Recent Product Introduction

In the autumn, the chain launched its poultry offering – which the former chief referred to as a “major strategic shift” for the group – and is testing it in select stores in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still intending to launch it across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as planned, it considers chicken products as an addition to its main pizza offerings.

Board Statement

Ian Bull, the Domino's chair, said: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to drive further growth and profitability in our primary operations. We are focused on finding the ideal CEO to lead the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Market Challenges

In the latest update, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said transactions dipped by 1.5 percent in the third quarter. In the summer, it warned that the quick-service industry had “grown more challenging” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the period before the government announcement and rising wage costs for disappointing revenue and a 15 percent decline in half-year profits.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Another major chain disclosed the closure of dozens of outlets a month ago, after the business behind its British operations entered insolvency.

Wellness Efforts

Adapting to customer preferences towards balanced diets, the company has introduced lower-calorie options, such as its thin-crust range of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as plant-based and allergy-friendly pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 kcals. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171, while a small has 909 kcal.

Acting Management

Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and was formerly with the gaming group a well-known operator. It is understood that she does not want to assume the chief executive role on a full-time basis.

She commented: “Our team has a number of ongoing development and operational projects that we will be focused on carrying out at speed.”

She added these comprised additional efforts on the organization's supply chain and menu innovation, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also lacking a permanent finance director until 16 March, when Andrea joins from the beverage producer a well-known firm. In the meantime, Richard Snow serves as interim finance chief.