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The chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the UK might have hit peak pizza while expanding the company into poultry items has been removed after disagreements with its governing body.

Executive Change

Rennie is leaving after just two years in the top role, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the organization's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's searches for a long-term chief.

Rennie, who served at Domino's for a substantial period, had attempted to redirect Britain's biggest pizza takeaway chain towards chicken offerings, commenting recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted poultry was the fastest-growing food category in the international market.

Board Disagreements

Reports indicate that there was disagreement between the CEO and the directors over his approach and direction, although the company's announcement said he was leaving “as a joint decision”.

Recent Brand Introduction

In September, the chain launched its Chick 'N' Dip offering – which Rennie described as a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is piloting it in over 200 locations in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

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

Board Statement

The Domino's chair, the Domino's chair, said: “The board believes that there are a series of prospects to boost expansion and profitability in the main pizza segment. We are focused on finding the suitable leader to lead the careful implementation of that expansion plan.”

Industry Difficulties

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said sales dipped by 1.5% in the third quarter. In August, it warned that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it attributed reduced spending in the run-up to the budget and increasing labor expenses for weaker-than-expected sales and a significant fall in half-year profits.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut revealed the closing of multiple locations a last month, after the firm behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Wellness Initiatives

Trying to keep up with consumer trends towards better nutrition, Domino's has rolled out reduced-calorie products, such as its Thin & Crispy range of bakes below 400 kcals as well as vegan and wheat-free options. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 kcals. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a individual has under 1,000 calories.

Interim Leadership

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and had a background at the gambling company a well-known operator. It is believed that she is not seeking to take on the chief executive role permanently.

She commented: “The company has a multiple active growth and operational projects that we will be dedicated to implementing at a rapid rate.”

She added these included further work on the organization's procurement system and menu innovation, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also without a full-time chief financial officer until 16 March, when Andrea joins from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. For now, Snow is interim finance chief.