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The head of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while broadening the franchise into fried chicken has been ousted after conflicts with its board.

Executive Transition

Andrew Rennie is exiting after only 24 months in charge, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the organization's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a long-term chief.

The outgoing executive, who worked for Domino's for over 20 years, had aimed to redirect Britain's largest pizza delivery company towards chicken offerings, commenting earlier this month there was not “significant expansion” left in the UK's pizza market. He noted poultry was the quickest rising protein in the globe.

Board Tensions

It is understood that there was friction between the CEO and the board over his strategy and business vision, although the company's official statement said he was leaving “through mutual consent”.

New Product Introduction

In the autumn, the chain launched its chicken-focused offering – which the former chief called a “major strategic shift” for the group – and is trialling it in select stores in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its extensive network in 2026 as scheduled, it views fried chicken as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

Bull, the Domino's chairman, commented: “Directors think that there are a series of prospects to drive further growth and performance improvement in our primary operations. We are prioritizing identifying the ideal CEO to lead the disciplined execution of that development approach.”

Market Difficulties

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said orders dipped by 1.5 percent in the latest quarter. In August, it cautioned that the quick-service industry had “become tougher” as it blamed economic uncertainty in the run-up to the budget and increasing labor expenses for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15% drop in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain disclosed the shutting of dozens of outlets a month ago, after the company behind its UK venues entered insolvency.

Wellness Initiatives

Responding to customer preferences towards better nutrition, the company has rolled out light products, such as its thin-crust selection of bakes below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and allergy-friendly options. A large pepperoni pizza has over 2,300 kcal. A big margherita has 2,171 kcal, while a small has under 1,000 calories.

Interim Management

Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and was formerly with the gaming group William Hill. It is believed that she prefers not to occupy the top job permanently.

She said: “We have a multiple ongoing expansion and operational projects that we will be dedicated to executing at a rapid rate.”

She said these involved additional efforts on the company's procurement system and product development, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also lacking a full-time finance director until March 16, when Andrea starts from the drinks company a well-known firm. Until then, Richard Snow acts as temporary CFO.