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The boss of Domino's Pizza Group who indicated the UK might have hit maximum pizza demand while broadening the franchise into fried chicken has been ousted after disagreements with its board.

Executive Transition

Rennie is departing after a brief tenure in leadership, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant searches for a new leader.

The outgoing executive, who served at Domino's for over 20 years, had aimed to redirect Britain's leading pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, commenting in a recent interview there was not “huge potential” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He said poultry was the fastest-growing food category in the globe.

Governance Friction

Sources suggest that there was friction between Rennie and the governance team over his approach and management style, although the company's official statement said he was departing “as a joint decision”.

Recent Product Launch

In the autumn, Domino's introduced its chicken-focused product line – which the former chief described as a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the firm is still intending to launch it across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as scheduled, it regards fried chicken as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Comment

Bull, the company chairman, said: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to enhance value and value creation in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing identifying the ideal CEO to lead the systematic rollout of that development approach.”

Market Challenges

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the British Isles, said sales declined by 1.5% in the Q3. In the summer, it warned that the quick-service industry had “grown more challenging” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for below-target performance and a 15% drop in interim earnings.

Other pizza operators are also struggling. Another major chain revealed the closure of dozens of outlets a last month, after the business behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Health Efforts

Adapting to market shifts towards better nutrition, Domino's has launched reduced-calorie items, such as its thin-crust line of bakes below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and allergy-friendly pizzas. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 kcals. A big margherita has 2,171 kcal, while a personal has 909 kcal.

Acting Leadership

Frampton 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 is not seeking to assume the CEO position on a full-time basis.

She commented: “The company has a multiple current growth and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to implementing at a rapid rate.”

She added these comprised ongoing development on the company's logistics network and menu innovation, and its customer retention initiative.

The pizza chain is also lacking a permanent chief financial officer until 16 March, when a new appointee comes aboard from the beverage producer C&C Group. Until then, Snow acts as acting financial officer.