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A chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the United Kingdom might have hit peak pizza while expanding the franchise into poultry items has been ousted after conflicts with its governing body.

Leadership Transition

Andrew Rennie is departing after only 24 months in charge, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the organization's operations head, Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who worked for the company for over 20 years, had attempted to redirect the UK's largest pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, commenting in a recent interview there was not “significant expansion” left in the British pizza industry. He said chicken was the fastest-growing protein in the globe.

Governance Tensions

It is understood that there was tension between the CEO and the directors over his approach and management style, although the company's announcement said he was stepping down “as a joint decision”.

New Product Introduction

In the autumn, Domino's unveiled its poultry brand – which the former chief called a “bold new chapter” for the group – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as planned, it considers fried chicken as a supplement for its core pizza business.

Board Comment

Ian Bull, the Domino's chair, said: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to enhance value and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing selecting the suitable leader to lead the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Market Difficulties

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the UK and Ireland, said orders dipped by 1.5% in the Q3. In August, it alerted that the food delivery sector had “become tougher” as it attributed reduced spending in the lead-up to the budget and increasing labor expenses for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15% drop in half-year profits.

Other pizza operators are also experiencing difficulties. Pizza Hut disclosed the closure of multiple locations a month ago, after the business behind its UK venues entered insolvency.

Health Initiatives

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards balanced diets, the company has rolled out light options, such as its Thin & Crispy range of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as meat-free and allergy-friendly pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 calories. A large cheese and tomato pizza has over 2,100, while a small has 909 calories.

Acting Management

Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and was formerly with the betting firm William Hill. It is believed that she prefers not to take on the CEO position permanently.

She commented: “We have a number of active development and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to implementing at pace.”

Frampton noted these included further work on the company's procurement system and product development, and its loyalty scheme.

Domino's is also in need of a permanent chief financial officer until March 16, when a new appointee comes aboard from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. In the meantime, Snow acts as temporary CFO.