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The chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the UK might have reached maximum pizza demand while expanding the company into fried chicken has been ousted after disagreements with its board.

Executive Change

Andrew Rennie is leaving after only 24 months in charge, and will be replaced on an temporary basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who was with the company for a substantial period, had sought to shift Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards poultry-based products, stating earlier this month there was not “significant expansion” left in the British pizza industry. He observed poultry was the quickest rising protein in the globe.

Board Friction

Sources suggest that there was friction between the CEO and the board over his approach and management style, although the company's official statement said he was departing “as a joint decision”.

Recent Brand Launch

In the autumn, Domino's introduced its Chick 'N' Dip brand – which Rennie referred to as a “bold new chapter” for the organization – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and the province.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its extensive network in 2026 as planned, it considers chicken products as a supplement for its primary pizza operations.

Leadership Statement

The Domino's chair, the company chair, said: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to drive further growth and performance improvement in the main pizza segment. We are prioritizing selecting the ideal CEO to direct the careful implementation of that expansion plan.”

Market Difficulties

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said sales declined by 1.5 percent in the third quarter. In the summer, it warned that the food delivery sector had “grown more challenging” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a significant fall in six-month income.

Other pizza operators are also struggling. Pizza Hut revealed the shutting of multiple locations a recently, after the business behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Health Initiatives

Responding to customer preferences towards better nutrition, Domino's has introduced lower-calorie items, such as its light base line of pizzas below 400 kcal as well as meat-free and allergy-friendly options. A big pepperoni bake has over 2,300 kcal. A family cheese pizza has over 2,100, while a small has 909 calories.

Interim Management

The interim chief has been with the company since the recent past, and was formerly with the betting firm William Hill. It is understood that she does not want to assume the chief executive role on a full-time basis.

She said: “We have a multiple active growth and performance initiatives that we will be dedicated to executing at pace.”

She said these included ongoing development on the organization's logistics network and menu innovation, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also in need of a permanent chief financial officer until 16 March, when a new appointee comes aboard from the drinks company a well-known firm. For now, Richard Snow serves as interim finance chief.