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A boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while broadening the chain into chicken products has been replaced after disagreements with its governing body.

Leadership Transition

Rennie is exiting after only 24 months in the top role, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's seeks a new leader.

Rennie, who was with Domino's for more than two decades, had sought to redirect Britain's biggest pizza takeaway chain towards fried chicken, remarking recently there was not “massive growth” left in the British pizza industry. He observed poultry was the most rapidly expanding protein in the globe.

Board Friction

Sources suggest that there was friction between the CEO and the board over his strategy and management style, although Domino's release said he was leaving “as a joint decision”.

Recent Brand Introduction

In September, Domino's introduced its poultry offering – which the former chief referred to as a “bold new chapter” for the organization – and is piloting it in select stores in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the business is still planning to expand it across its extensive network in the coming year as planned, it considers fried chicken as an addition to its core pizza business.

Board Comment

Ian Bull, the Domino's chairman, stated: “We are confident that there are a number of opportunities to drive further growth and performance improvement in our primary operations. We are focused on identifying the ideal CEO to direct the systematic rollout of that development approach.”

Market Difficulties

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said sales declined by 1.5% in the third quarter. In the summer, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “intensified” as it blamed economic uncertainty in the period before the budget and increasing labor expenses for disappointing revenue and a significant fall in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain revealed the shutting of dozens of outlets a last month, after the business behind its outlets faced financial collapse.

Health Efforts

Responding to customer preferences towards better nutrition, the company has launched lower-calorie products, such as its light base range of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as meat-free and gluten-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has 2,171, while a individual has 909 calories.

Interim Leadership

Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since the recent past, and previously worked for the betting firm a well-known operator. It is understood that she prefers not to take on the chief executive role permanently.

She commented: “Our team has a number of ongoing expansion and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to executing at pace.”

She added these involved additional efforts on the company's logistics network and menu innovation, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also lacking a long-term chief financial officer until March 16, when a new appointee joins from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. For now, Richard Snow acts as acting financial officer.