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The boss of Domino's Pizza Group who indicated the United Kingdom might have hit pizza saturation while broadening the chain into fried chicken has been replaced after disagreements with its board.

Leadership Transition

The former CEO is leaving after just two years in the top role, and will be replaced on an temporary basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a new leader.

The outgoing executive, who was with Domino's for more than two decades, had aimed to pivot Britain's largest pizza takeaway chain towards fried chicken, remarking recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the UK's pizza market. He said chicken was the fastest-growing protein in the international market.

Governance Tensions

Reports indicate that there was disagreement between the CEO and the directors over his focus and business vision, although the company's release said he was stepping down “by mutual agreement”.

New Product Launch

In September, the chain introduced its poultry brand – which Rennie described as a “significant new phase” for the company – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and the province.

While the company is still going to roll it out across its extensive network next year as scheduled, it views fried chicken as an addition to its primary pizza operations.

Board Comment

Ian Bull, the Domino's chairman, stated: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to boost expansion and performance improvement in the main pizza segment. We are concentrating on finding the ideal CEO to oversee the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”

Industry Challenges

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said sales declined by one and a half percent in the latest quarter. In August, it warned that the food delivery sector had “grown more challenging” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the run-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for below-target performance and a 15% drop in six-month income.

Competitors are also struggling. Another major chain revealed the shutting of 68 restaurants a last month, after the company behind its outlets fell into administration.

Health Initiatives

Trying to keep up with market shifts towards healthier eating, Domino's has launched lower-calorie options, such as its light base selection of pizzas below 400 calories as well as meat-free and wheat-free pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has over 2,100, while a small has under 1,000 calories.

Acting Leadership

Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and was formerly with the gambling company William Hill. It is understood that she is not seeking to occupy the chief executive role permanently.

She commented: “Our team has a multiple ongoing development and efficiency programs that we will be concentrating on carrying out at pace.”

She said these included ongoing development on the organization's supply chain and menu innovation, and its customer retention initiative.

The pizza chain is also in need of a long-term CFO until 16 March, when Andy Andrea starts from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. In the meantime, Richard Snow serves as temporary CFO.