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The head of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the UK might have hit peak pizza while expanding the chain into fried chicken has been replaced after disagreements with its governing body.

Leadership Change

Andrew Rennie is departing after just two years in leadership, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the company's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a new leader.

The outgoing executive, who worked for the company for over 20 years, had sought to shift the UK's largest pizza delivery company towards chicken offerings, commenting in a recent interview there was not “huge potential” left in the UK's pizza market. He noted chicken was the fastest-growing protein in the globe.

Board Disagreements

Sources suggest that there was disagreement between Rennie and the board over his focus and management style, although the company's official statement said he was stepping down “through mutual consent”.

New Brand Launch

In the autumn, the chain launched its poultry brand – which the former chief referred to as a “significant new phase” for the company – and is piloting it in select stores in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the firm is still intending to launch it across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as planned, it regards fried chicken as a supplement for its core pizza business.

Board Comment

Ian Bull, the company chair, stated: “The board believes that there are a number of opportunities to drive further growth and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on identifying the right chief executive to oversee the systematic rollout of that expansion plan.”

Industry Difficulties

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the UK and Ireland, said sales dipped by 1.5% in the Q3. In the summer, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “intensified” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the lead-up to the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a significant fall in half-year profits.

Competitors are also struggling. Another major chain announced the closure of dozens of outlets a last month, after the business behind its UK venues fell into administration.

Wellness Initiatives

Trying to keep up with consumer trends towards better nutrition, Domino's has rolled out reduced-calorie products, such as its light base line of pizzas below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and allergy-friendly pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 kcals. A family cheese pizza has 2,171, while a personal has 909 calories.

Interim Leadership

The interim chief has been with the company since the recent past, and was formerly with the gambling company William Hill. It is understood that she does not want to take on the CEO position on a full-time basis.

Frampton stated: “We have a number of ongoing expansion and operational projects that we will be dedicated to implementing at a rapid rate.”

She added these comprised additional efforts on the company's logistics network and menu innovation, and its loyalty scheme.

Domino's is also lacking a long-term finance director until 16 March, when Andy Andrea comes aboard from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. In the meantime, Richard Snow is interim finance chief.