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A chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the United Kingdom might have hit pizza saturation while expanding the company into fried chicken has been removed after disagreements with its governing body.

Leadership Transition

Andrew Rennie is leaving after just two years in charge, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's searches for a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who was with the company for a substantial period, had attempted to shift the UK's biggest pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, commenting earlier this month there was not “huge potential” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He said poultry was the quickest rising menu item in the globe.

Governance Tensions

It is understood that there was friction between Rennie and the directors over his strategy and management style, although the company's official statement said he was stepping down “by mutual agreement”.

New Product Introduction

In September, Domino's unveiled its chicken-focused product line – which Rennie referred to as a “major strategic shift” for the company – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the North West region and the province.

While the business is still planning to expand it across its extensive network next year as scheduled, it regards chicken products as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Board Statement

Bull, the Domino's chair, commented: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to boost expansion and value creation in our primary operations. We are prioritizing finding the right chief executive to lead the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”

Market Challenges

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said transactions dipped by one and a half percent in the latest quarter. In August, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “intensified” as it blamed economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for disappointing revenue and a significant fall in six-month income.

Competitors are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut disclosed the closure of multiple locations a recently, after the business behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Health Initiatives

Adapting to market shifts towards balanced diets, the company has launched lower-calorie products, such as its light base range of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as vegan and allergy-friendly pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has over 2,300 kcal. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a small has 909 calories.

Interim Management

Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and was formerly with the gambling company William Hill. It is believed that she is not seeking to assume the top job permanently.

She commented: “Our team has a multiple current growth and performance initiatives that we will be dedicated to carrying out at pace.”

She added these comprised ongoing development on the company's procurement system and new item creation, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also in need of a long-term finance director until the spring, when Andrea starts from the beverage producer a well-known firm. For now, Snow is acting financial officer.