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A head of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the UK might have reached pizza saturation while expanding the company into chicken products has been ousted after tensions with its governing body.

Executive Change

Andrew Rennie is leaving after a brief tenure in leadership, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the organization's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who was with Domino's for more than two decades, had attempted to redirect Britain's largest pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, remarking earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted chicken was the most rapidly expanding food category in the world.

Governance Friction

It is understood that there was tension between Rennie and the governance team over his approach and direction, although the company's official statement said he was departing “through mutual consent”.

New Brand Introduction

In the autumn, the chain introduced its poultry product line – which Rennie referred to as a “bold new chapter” for the organization – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and the province.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as intended, it regards chicken products as a supplement for its primary pizza operations.

Leadership Comment

Bull, the company chair, stated: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to drive further growth and value creation in the main pizza segment. We are focused on identifying the right chief executive to lead the careful implementation of that growth strategy.”

Industry Challenges

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said transactions declined by 1.5% in the Q3. In August, it alerted that the food delivery sector had “become tougher” as it blamed reduced spending in the lead-up to the budget and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a 15 percent decline in half-year profits.

Other pizza operators are also struggling. Another major chain announced the closing of 68 restaurants a last month, after the company behind its UK venues fell into administration.

Health Initiatives

Adapting to customer preferences towards better nutrition, the company has rolled out light options, such as its light base range of pizzas below 400 calories as well as plant-based and gluten-free pizzas. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 kcals. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a individual has under 1,000 calories.

Interim Management

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and had a background at the gambling company a well-known operator. It is believed that she is not seeking to assume the top job on a full-time basis.

She commented: “Our team has a number of current development and performance initiatives that we will be concentrating on implementing at speed.”

She said these involved additional efforts on the company's logistics network and product development, and its loyalty scheme.

Domino's is also without a long-term chief financial officer until the spring, when Andrea joins from the drinks company a well-known firm. For now, Richard Snow acts as interim finance chief.