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A boss of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the United Kingdom might have hit peak pizza while broadening the company into fried chicken has been removed after tensions with its board.

Executive Transition

Andrew Rennie is leaving after just two years in charge, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the organization's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant searches for a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who served at the company for over 20 years, had aimed to pivot Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards chicken offerings, stating earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He said poultry was the most rapidly expanding menu item in the international market.

Board Friction

It is understood that there was tension between the CEO and the board over his strategy and management style, although Domino's official statement said he was stepping down “as a joint decision”.

New Product Launch

In September, Domino's introduced its chicken-focused product line – which Rennie called a “significant new phase” for the group – and is piloting it in 210 outlets in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the firm is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores in the coming year as planned, it considers chicken products as an addition to its primary pizza operations.

Board Comment

The Domino's chair, the company chair, stated: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to boost expansion and profitability in the main pizza segment. We are focused on identifying the suitable leader to direct the careful implementation of that expansion plan.”

Market Difficulties

Recently, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said sales dipped by 1.5 percent in the third quarter. In August, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “intensified” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the lead-up to the government announcement and increasing labor expenses for disappointing revenue and a 15% drop in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Another major chain revealed the closure of dozens of outlets a last month, after the firm behind its UK venues fell into administration.

Wellness Initiatives

Responding to market shifts towards healthier eating, the company has rolled out lower-calorie options, such as its light base selection of bakes below 400 kcals as well as meat-free and allergy-friendly pizzas. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has 2,171, while a small has 909 calories.

Interim Leadership

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and had a background at the gambling company a well-known operator. It is thought that she is not seeking to assume the top job long-term.

She said: “Our team has a several active development and operational projects that we will be dedicated to carrying out at a rapid rate.”

Frampton noted these comprised further work on the organization's supply chain and menu innovation, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also lacking a long-term CFO until March 16, when Andrea joins from the drinks company a well-known firm. For now, Richard Snow is interim finance chief.