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The chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the UK might have hit maximum pizza demand while broadening the franchise into chicken products has been replaced after disagreements with its governing body.

Executive Change

The former CEO is exiting after a brief tenure in charge, and will be replaced on an temporary basis by the organization's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant searches for a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who was with the company for more than two decades, had aimed to shift Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards chicken offerings, commenting recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He observed poultry was the most rapidly expanding food category in the international market.

Board Tensions

Reports indicate that there was disagreement between the CEO and the governance team over his focus and direction, although the company's announcement said he was leaving “by mutual agreement”.

Recent Product Launch

In September, Domino's introduced its chicken-focused product line – which Rennie called a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is testing it in over 200 locations in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the business is still going to roll it out across its extensive network in 2026 as planned, it considers fried chicken as an addition to its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Comment

Bull, the company chairman, stated: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to enhance value and value creation in our primary operations. We are focused on finding the right chief executive to direct the disciplined execution of that expansion plan.”

Market Difficulties

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said orders declined by 1.5% in the third quarter. In August, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “intensified” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a 15 percent decline in six-month income.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Another major chain revealed the closure of 68 restaurants a last month, after the business behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Wellness Efforts

Trying to keep up with market shifts towards balanced diets, the company has rolled out light products, such as its thin-crust line of bakes below 400 kcal as well as meat-free and allergy-friendly options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 kcals. A family cheese pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a small has 909 calories.

Acting Management

Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and previously worked for the gaming group William Hill. It is understood that she does not want to occupy the top job permanently.

She said: “We have a several ongoing development and operational projects that we will be focused on executing at pace.”

She said these comprised additional efforts on the organization's supply chain and new item creation, and its loyalty scheme.

Domino's is also without a long-term chief financial officer until the spring, when a new appointee comes aboard from the drinks company a well-known firm. In the meantime, Snow acts as temporary CFO.