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The boss of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the UK might have hit pizza saturation while expanding the company into poultry items has been removed after disagreements with its directors.

Leadership Change

Andrew Rennie is departing after just two years in the top role, and will be replaced on an temporary basis by the company's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who worked for the company for more than two decades, had attempted to shift Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards poultry-based products, commenting earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the British pizza industry. He said chicken was the most rapidly expanding protein in the world.

Governance Friction

Sources suggest that there was friction between the CEO and the board over his strategy and direction, although Domino's official statement said he was stepping down “as a joint decision”.

New Product Launch

In the autumn, Domino's launched its Chick 'N' Dip offering – which Rennie described as a “bold new chapter” for the company – 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 almost 1,400 stores in the coming year as intended, it regards fried chicken as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

Bull, the Domino's chairman, commented: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to enhance value and performance improvement in our primary operations. We are prioritizing selecting the suitable leader to direct the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Market Difficulties

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said orders declined by one and a half percent in the third quarter. In the summer, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it blamed economic uncertainty in the period before the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a 15% drop in six-month income.

Rival chains are also struggling. Another major chain revealed the closing of dozens of outlets a recently, after the company behind its UK venues faced financial collapse.

Wellness Initiatives

Adapting to customer preferences towards better nutrition, Domino's has launched lower-calorie items, such as its Thin & Crispy line of pizzas below 400 calories as well as plant-based and gluten-free pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has over 2,300 kcal. A family cheese pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a small has 909 kcal.

Acting Management

Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and previously worked for the betting firm William Hill. It is believed that she prefers not to assume the top job permanently.

She said: “Our team has a several ongoing growth and performance initiatives that we will be concentrating on implementing at pace.”

Frampton noted these comprised ongoing development on the company's supply chain and product development, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also without a full-time finance director until the spring, when a new appointee starts from the drinks company C&C Group. For now, Snow serves as interim finance chief.