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The head of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the United Kingdom might have hit pizza saturation while expanding the franchise into poultry items has been ousted after disagreements with its governing body.

Leadership Shake-Up

Andrew Rennie is departing after only 24 months in the top role, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the company's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's looks for a long-term chief.

The outgoing executive, who served at the company for over 20 years, had attempted to pivot the UK's largest pizza delivery company towards poultry-based products, remarking recently there was not “huge potential” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted poultry was the fastest-growing menu item in the globe.

Board Friction

Sources suggest that there was tension between Rennie and the directors over his strategy and business vision, although the company's announcement said he was departing “by mutual agreement”.

New Product Launch

In the autumn, the chain unveiled its Chick 'N' Dip offering – which Rennie called a “bold new chapter” for the company – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its nearly 1,400 branches in the coming year as planned, it regards fried chicken as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Board Statement

Bull, the Domino's chair, commented: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to enhance value and value creation in our primary operations. We are prioritizing identifying the suitable leader to direct the careful implementation of that growth strategy.”

Market Difficulties

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said orders dipped by one and a half percent in the Q3. In August, it warned that the food delivery sector had “grown more challenging” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the period before the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a 15% drop in half-year profits.

Other pizza operators are also struggling. Pizza Hut announced the closure of multiple locations a last month, after the business behind its outlets faced financial collapse.

Health Initiatives

Adapting to customer preferences towards balanced diets, the company has rolled out reduced-calorie products, such as its Thin & Crispy line of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as vegan and wheat-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has over 2,300 kcal. A family cheese pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a small has 909 calories.

Acting Management

Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and previously worked for the betting firm a well-known operator. It is thought that she is not seeking to occupy the top job long-term.

She said: “The company has a multiple ongoing growth and operational projects that we will be focused on implementing at a rapid rate.”

She added these comprised further work on the company's logistics network and new item creation, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also without a permanent chief financial officer until 16 March, when Andy Andrea joins from the beverage producer C&C Group. For now, Snow acts as acting financial officer.