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The chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the UK might have reached pizza saturation while expanding the chain into fried chicken has been removed after conflicts with its directors.

Leadership Shake-Up

Rennie is leaving after just two years in leadership, and will be replaced on an temporary basis by the company's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a new leader.

Rennie, who was with the company for over 20 years, had sought to pivot the UK's largest pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, remarking in a recent interview there was not “huge potential” left in the British pizza industry. He said poultry was the most rapidly expanding food category in the globe.

Board Disagreements

Reports indicate that there was disagreement between the CEO and the board over his approach and management style, although Domino's official statement said he was leaving “by mutual agreement”.

Recent Product Introduction

In the autumn, the chain introduced its Chick 'N' Dip product line – which the former chief referred to as a “major strategic shift” for the group – and is piloting it in over 200 locations in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still going to roll it out across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as scheduled, it regards fried chicken as complementary to its core pizza business.

Board Statement

Ian Bull, the company chair, commented: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to drive further growth and profitability in the main pizza segment. We are focused on identifying the ideal CEO to oversee the disciplined execution of that development approach.”

Market Challenges

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the British Isles, said sales fell by 1.5% in the Q3. In August, it alerted that the takeaway market had “intensified” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the lead-up to the budget and increasing labor expenses for disappointing revenue and a significant fall in interim earnings.

Competitors are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain announced the closing of dozens of outlets a last month, after the firm behind its outlets entered insolvency.

Wellness Initiatives

Adapting to customer preferences towards balanced diets, the company has rolled out reduced-calorie options, such as its Thin & Crispy line of pizzas below 400 calories as well as meat-free and gluten-free options. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 calories. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171, while a small has 909 calories.

Acting Management

The interim chief has been with Domino's since the recent past, and previously worked for the gaming group a well-known operator. It is understood that she does not want to assume the chief executive role permanently.

She said: “Our team has a multiple active growth and performance initiatives that we will be focused on carrying out at speed.”

Frampton noted these comprised ongoing development on the company's supply chain and new item creation, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also lacking a full-time chief financial officer until the spring, when a new appointee starts from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. Until then, Snow serves as interim finance chief.