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The head of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the United Kingdom might have hit peak pizza while broadening the company into fried chicken has been removed after conflicts with its board.

Leadership Change

Andrew Rennie is departing after a brief tenure in leadership, and will be succeeded on an interim basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's seeks a new leader.

Rennie, who was with Domino's for a substantial period, had aimed to redirect the UK's biggest pizza takeaway chain towards poultry-based products, remarking recently there was not “huge potential” left in the UK's pizza market. He noted poultry was the fastest-growing menu item in the world.

Board Friction

Sources suggest that there was tension between the CEO and the board over his focus and direction, although Domino's official statement said he was stepping down “as a joint decision”.

Recent Product Launch

In September, the chain launched its chicken-focused offering – which the former chief called a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is piloting it in select stores in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its nearly 1,400 branches next year as intended, it regards chicken products as a supplement for its primary pizza operations.

Board Statement

The Domino's chair, the company chair, stated: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to drive further growth and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on identifying the ideal CEO to direct the systematic rollout of that development approach.”

Industry Difficulties

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the British Isles, said orders dipped by one and a half percent in the third quarter. In the summer, it warned that the takeaway market had “grown more challenging” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the budget and increasing labor expenses for disappointing revenue and a 15% drop in six-month income.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Another major chain disclosed the closure of multiple locations a last month, after the firm behind its UK venues faced financial collapse.

Health Initiatives

Adapting to market shifts towards balanced diets, Domino's has introduced lower-calorie products, such as its light base line of bakes below 400 kcal as well as meat-free and gluten-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A big margherita has 2,171 kcal, while a personal has 909 calories.

Interim Management

Frampton has been with Domino's since the recent past, and previously worked for the gaming group William Hill. It is believed that she is not seeking to take on the CEO position permanently.

Frampton stated: “The company has a several active expansion and operational projects that we will be dedicated to carrying out at a rapid rate.”

She said these involved additional efforts on the organization's supply chain and product development, and its loyalty scheme.

The pizza chain is also without a long-term chief financial officer until the spring, when Andrea joins from the drinks company a well-known firm. For now, Richard Snow serves as interim finance chief.