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A boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the United Kingdom might have reached maximum pizza demand while broadening the company into fried chicken has been removed after tensions with its directors.

Leadership Transition

The former CEO is departing after just two years in charge, and will be succeeded on an interim basis by the company's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who served at Domino's for a substantial period, had sought to redirect Britain's leading pizza delivery company towards chicken offerings, commenting in a recent interview there was not “massive growth” left in the British pizza industry. He observed chicken was the fastest-growing food category in the world.

Governance Tensions

Sources suggest that there was friction between the CEO and the board over his approach and direction, although the company's release said he was departing “through mutual consent”.

Recent Brand Launch

In September, Domino's launched its chicken-focused offering – which Rennie referred to as a “bold new chapter” for the company – and is piloting it in over 200 locations in the north-west of England and the province.

While the firm is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores in the coming year as scheduled, it views fried chicken as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

Ian Bull, the company chair, said: “Directors think that there are a number of opportunities to boost expansion and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing identifying the ideal CEO to lead the careful implementation of that growth strategy.”

Market Challenges

Recently, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said orders dipped by 1.5% in the Q3. In August, it alerted that the quick-service industry had “become tougher” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the government announcement and increasing labor expenses for disappointing revenue and a 15% drop in six-month income.

Competitors are also struggling. Another major chain disclosed the shutting of 68 restaurants a month ago, after the business behind its UK venues faced financial collapse.

Wellness Initiatives

Responding to consumer trends towards better nutrition, Domino's has introduced lower-calorie options, such as its Thin & Crispy line of pizzas below 400 kcal as well as meat-free and wheat-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 kcals. A family cheese pizza has over 2,100, while a individual has under 1,000 calories.

Interim Leadership

The interim chief has been with Domino's since the recent past, and previously worked for the betting firm William Hill. It is thought that she is not seeking to assume the top job on a full-time basis.

She commented: “We have a multiple current growth and performance initiatives that we will be focused on carrying out at speed.”

She added these included further work on the company's supply chain and product development, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also lacking a full-time CFO until 16 March, when a new appointee joins from the drinks company a well-known firm. Until then, Snow serves as interim finance chief.