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The boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while broadening the chain into fried chicken has been ousted after tensions with its governing body.

Executive Transition

Rennie is exiting after only 24 months in charge, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while the pizza giant searches for a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who served at the company for over 20 years, had sought to redirect the UK's leading pizza food delivery firm towards chicken offerings, remarking earlier this month there was not “huge potential” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted chicken was the fastest-growing menu item in the world.

Board Disagreements

Sources suggest that there was friction between the CEO and the directors over his strategy and management style, although Domino's announcement said he was stepping down “as a joint decision”.

New Brand Launch

In September, Domino's introduced its poultry offering – which the former chief described as a “major strategic shift” for the company – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and the province.

While the company is still intending to launch it across its extensive network in 2026 as planned, it regards fried chicken as complementary to its primary pizza operations.

Board Statement

The Domino's chair, the Domino's chair, stated: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to enhance value and profitability in our primary operations. We are concentrating on finding the suitable leader to lead the careful implementation of that development approach.”

Market Difficulties

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said sales dipped by 1.5 percent in the latest quarter. In August, it warned that the food delivery sector had “intensified” 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.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Another major chain revealed the closing of dozens of outlets a last month, after the firm behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Wellness Efforts

Responding to consumer trends towards healthier eating, the company has rolled out lower-calorie options, such as its Thin & Crispy range of bakes below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and allergy-friendly options. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 kcals. A family cheese pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a personal has 909 kcal.

Interim Leadership

The interim chief has been with Domino's since the recent past, and had a background at the gaming group William Hill. It is believed that she does not want to assume the chief executive role long-term.

She said: “The company has a number of current expansion and efficiency programs that we will be focused on implementing at speed.”

She added these included further work on the organization's supply chain and product development, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also lacking a permanent CFO until the spring, when Andrea starts from the drinks company C&C Group. Until then, Snow serves as interim finance chief.