🔗 Share this article Peak Pizza? Domino's Pizza CEO Steps Down After Move Into Fried Chicken. A chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the UK might have reached peak pizza while expanding the chain into fried chicken has been removed after conflicts with its directors. Leadership Shake-Up The former CEO is departing after just two years in charge, and will be succeeded on an acting basis by the company's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's looks for a new leader. The outgoing executive, who was with Domino's for more than two decades, had sought to shift the UK's leading pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, remarking recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He observed poultry was the most rapidly expanding menu item in the world. Governance Disagreements It is understood that there was disagreement between Rennie and the governance team over his strategy and business vision, although the company's release said he was leaving “as a joint decision”. Recent Product Introduction In September, Domino's launched its Chick 'N' Dip brand – which the former chief referred to as a “significant new phase” for the group – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland. While the business is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as intended, it regards chicken products as complementary to its main pizza offerings. Leadership Statement Bull, the company chair, said: “The board believes that there are a number of opportunities to drive further growth and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are focused on selecting the right chief executive to lead the disciplined execution of that expansion plan.” Market Challenges Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the British Isles, said sales fell by one and a half percent in the third quarter. In August, it alerted that the food delivery sector had “grown more challenging” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the run-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for disappointing revenue and a 15 percent decline in half-year profits. Other pizza operators are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain disclosed the closing of 68 restaurants a recently, after the firm behind its outlets faced financial collapse. Wellness Initiatives Responding to market shifts towards balanced diets, the company has launched light items, such as its thin-crust line of bakes below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and allergy-friendly pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 calories. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a small has under 1,000 calories. Interim Management Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and previously worked for the gaming group William Hill. It is thought that she prefers not to occupy the top job permanently. She commented: “Our team has a several ongoing expansion and performance initiatives that we will be dedicated to executing at a rapid rate.” Frampton noted these comprised further work on the company's supply chain and new item creation, and its rewards program. The pizza chain is also in need of a permanent CFO until March 16, when Andrea comes aboard from the beverage producer C&C Group. For now, Richard Snow acts as temporary CFO.