🔗 Share this article

A head of Domino's Pizza Group who indicated the UK might have reached peak pizza while expanding the chain into chicken products has been replaced after tensions with its directors.

Leadership Transition

The former CEO is departing after a brief tenure in the top role, and will be succeeded on an acting basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a new leader.

Rennie, who served at the company for a substantial period, had sought to pivot the UK's leading pizza takeaway chain towards chicken offerings, stating in a recent interview there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted poultry was the fastest-growing menu item in the globe.

Governance Disagreements

It is understood that there was friction between Rennie and the governance team over his strategy and management style, although Domino's official statement said he was leaving “as a joint decision”.

Recent Product Introduction

In September, Domino's unveiled its chicken-focused product line – which Rennie called a “major strategic shift” for the group – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and the province.

While the firm is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores next year as intended, it regards fried chicken as a supplement for its primary pizza operations.

Leadership Statement

Bull, the company chairman, stated: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to enhance value and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on finding the right chief executive to oversee the disciplined execution of that development approach.”

Market Challenges

In the latest update, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the UK and Ireland, said transactions declined by 1.5 percent in the third quarter. In August, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “intensified” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the lead-up to the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for weaker-than-expected sales and a significant fall in six-month income.

Other pizza operators are also facing challenges. Another major chain revealed the closure of dozens of outlets a month ago, after the company behind its outlets fell into administration.

Health Initiatives

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards balanced diets, the company has rolled out light products, such as its Thin & Crispy range of pizzas below 400 kcal as well as vegan and allergy-friendly options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 kcals. A big margherita has 2,171 kcal, while a personal has under 1,000 calories.

Acting Management

Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and was formerly with the gaming group William Hill. It is believed that she prefers not to take on the CEO position long-term.

She commented: “We have a multiple ongoing expansion and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to implementing at pace.”

She said these comprised ongoing development on the company's logistics network and new item creation, and its customer retention initiative.

The pizza chain is also without a long-term CFO until the spring, when Andrea comes aboard from the beverage producer a well-known firm. In the meantime, Richard Snow serves as interim finance chief.