Peak Pizza? Domino's Pizza CEO Departs Following Move Into Fried Chicken.

The head of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the United Kingdom might have reached pizza saturation while diversifying the company into poultry items has been ousted after tensions with its governing body.

Executive Shake-Up

Rennie is leaving after just two years in the top role, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who worked for Domino's for over 20 years, had sought to pivot the UK's leading pizza delivery company towards poultry-based products, stating earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted chicken was the most rapidly expanding protein in the globe.

Governance Disagreements

It is understood that there was friction between the CEO and the directors over his strategy and direction, although the company's release said he was leaving “as a joint decision”.

Recent Brand Introduction

In the autumn, Domino's introduced its chicken-focused brand – which Rennie called a “bold new chapter” for the organization – and is trialling it in over 200 locations in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the firm is still intending to launch it across its nearly 1,400 branches next year as intended, it views chicken products as complementary to its core pizza business.

Board Statement

Bull, the company chairman, stated: “Directors think that there are a number of opportunities to boost expansion and value creation in the main pizza segment. We are focused on finding the right chief executive to oversee the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”

Market Challenges

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said sales fell by 1.5 percent in the Q3. In August, it warned that the quick-service industry had “become tougher” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the lead-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for below-target performance and a significant fall in half-year profits.

Other pizza operators are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut disclosed the closure of 68 restaurants a month ago, after the business behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Wellness Initiatives

Adapting to market shifts towards better nutrition, Domino's has introduced reduced-calorie items, such as its Thin & Crispy range of bakes below 400 calories as well as vegan and wheat-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a individual has 909 calories.

Interim Leadership

The interim chief has been with the company since the recent past, and was formerly with the gaming group a well-known operator. It is thought that she prefers not to assume the CEO position on a full-time basis.

She said: “Our team has a multiple ongoing growth and operational projects that we will be concentrating on executing at a rapid rate.”

She said these included additional efforts on the organization's logistics network and menu innovation, and its loyalty scheme.

Domino's is also without a permanent finance director until March 16, when a new appointee starts from the drinks company a well-known firm. For now, Richard Snow acts as acting financial officer.