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A chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the United Kingdom might have hit peak pizza while diversifying the chain into fried chicken has been replaced after conflicts with its directors.

Leadership Shake-Up

Rennie is leaving after a brief tenure in the top role, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's looks for a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who served at the company for more than two decades, had sought to pivot the UK's biggest pizza delivery company towards chicken offerings, commenting recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted chicken was the most rapidly expanding menu item in the globe.

Governance Disagreements

Reports indicate that there was friction between the CEO and the board over his approach and management style, although Domino's release said he was departing “through mutual consent”.

Recent Brand Introduction

In the autumn, Domino's unveiled its chicken-focused offering – which Rennie described as a “major strategic shift” for the company – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the North West region and the province.

While the company is still going to roll it out across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as intended, it considers fried chicken as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Board Statement

Ian Bull, the Domino's chairman, stated: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to boost expansion and profitability in our primary operations. We are focused on finding the suitable leader to lead the careful implementation of that expansion plan.”

Industry Challenges

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said sales fell by 1.5 percent in the latest quarter. In the summer, it alerted that the takeaway market had “grown more challenging” as it blamed economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the budget and rising wage costs for below-target performance and a significant fall in six-month income.

Rival chains are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain announced the shutting of multiple locations a recently, after the business behind its UK venues fell into administration.

Wellness Efforts

Adapting to market shifts towards healthier eating, the company has rolled out lower-calorie products, such as its Thin & Crispy selection of bakes below 400 kcals as well as meat-free and wheat-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has over 2,300 kcal. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a small has 909 calories.

Acting Management

Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and was formerly with the betting firm a well-known operator. It is understood that she does not want to assume the chief executive role long-term.

She said: “Our team has a number of current growth and operational projects that we will be dedicated to executing at pace.”

She added these included ongoing development on the company's logistics network and new item creation, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also without a full-time finance director until 16 March, when Andy Andrea starts from the beverage producer C&C Group. For now, Richard Snow serves as interim finance chief.