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The head of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the UK might have hit peak pizza while broadening the chain into poultry items has been ousted after conflicts with its governing body.

Leadership Shake-Up

Andrew Rennie is departing after only 24 months in charge, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the company's chief operating officer, Frampton, while Domino's seeks a new leader.

The outgoing executive, who was with Domino's for a substantial period, had sought to pivot the UK's leading pizza takeaway chain towards poultry-based products, commenting earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the British pizza industry. He said poultry was the most rapidly expanding protein in the international market.

Governance Friction

Reports indicate that there was friction between the CEO and the directors over his approach and direction, although Domino's release said he was stepping down “by mutual agreement”.

Recent Product Launch

In September, the chain unveiled its Chick 'N' Dip product line – which the former chief described as a “significant new phase” for the group – and is piloting it in select stores in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the business is still planning to expand it across its extensive network in 2026 as scheduled, it considers chicken products as complementary to its core pizza business.

Leadership Statement

The Domino's chair, the Domino's chair, said: “Directors think that there are a series of prospects to enhance value and value creation in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on finding the suitable leader to direct the careful implementation of that growth strategy.”

Industry Difficulties

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said transactions fell by one and a half percent in the Q3. In the summer, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “become tougher” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the period before the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for below-target performance and a significant fall in six-month income.

Other pizza operators are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut revealed the closure of dozens of outlets a recently, after the business behind its outlets fell into administration.

Wellness Initiatives

Adapting to market shifts towards better nutrition, Domino's has launched light options, such as its light base selection of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as vegan and wheat-free pizzas. A family-sized pepperoni has over 2,300 kcal. A big margherita has 2,171 kcal, while a individual has under 1,000 calories.

Interim Leadership

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and previously worked for the gambling company William Hill. It is believed that she is not seeking to take on the CEO position on a full-time basis.

She said: “The company has a number of active expansion and performance initiatives that we will be dedicated to carrying out at speed.”

She added these comprised ongoing development on the company's procurement system and product development, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also without a long-term CFO until 16 March, when Andrea comes aboard from the drinks company C&C Group. In the meantime, Snow acts as interim finance chief.