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A chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while broadening the franchise into poultry items has been ousted after disagreements with its board.

Leadership Shake-Up

Andrew Rennie is exiting after a brief tenure in charge, and will be succeeded on an interim basis by the organization's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who worked for the company for a substantial period, had attempted to redirect the UK's largest pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, stating recently there was not “massive growth” left in the UK's pizza market. He noted poultry was the quickest rising food category in the international market.

Governance Friction

Reports indicate that there was tension between the CEO and the directors over his focus and management style, although the company's release said he was leaving “through mutual consent”.

Recent Brand Launch

In the autumn, the chain unveiled its Chick 'N' Dip offering – which the former chief referred to as a “bold new chapter” for the company – and is trialling it in select stores in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the business is still going to roll it out across its nearly 1,400 branches next year as intended, it considers fried chicken as an addition to its core pizza business.

Board Statement

The Domino's chair, the Domino's chairman, commented: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to drive further growth and value creation in the main pizza segment. We are concentrating on identifying the ideal CEO to direct the disciplined execution of that expansion plan.”

Market Challenges

Recently, Domino's, which has millions of users in the British Isles, said transactions dipped by 1.5 percent in the Q3. In the summer, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “intensified” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15% drop in six-month income.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Another major chain disclosed the closing of 68 restaurants a recently, after the business behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Wellness Initiatives

Trying to keep up with consumer trends towards balanced diets, the company has launched lower-calorie options, such as its Thin & Crispy range of bakes below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and gluten-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 kcals. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a individual has 909 kcal.

Acting Leadership

The interim chief has been with the company since the recent past, and previously worked for the betting firm a well-known operator. It is thought that she is not seeking to occupy the CEO position on a full-time basis.

Frampton stated: “Our team has a multiple active expansion and efficiency programs that we will be concentrating on carrying out at a rapid rate.”

Frampton noted these included further work on the organization's logistics network and menu innovation, and its loyalty scheme.

Domino's is also in need of a long-term chief financial officer until the spring, when a new appointee joins from the beverage producer a well-known firm. For now, Snow serves as interim finance chief.