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The head of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while broadening the chain into chicken products has been replaced after tensions with its board.

Leadership Change

The former CEO is departing after only 24 months in leadership, and will be succeeded on an interim basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's searches for a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who served at Domino's for a substantial period, had sought to redirect the UK's leading pizza takeaway chain towards chicken offerings, stating recently there was not “huge potential” left in the British pizza industry. He noted poultry was the most rapidly expanding menu item in the globe.

Board Disagreements

Reports indicate that there was tension between the CEO and the directors over his approach and direction, although the company's official statement said he was leaving “by mutual agreement”.

New Product Launch

In September, Domino's introduced its chicken-focused brand – which the former chief referred to as a “major strategic shift” for the organization – and is testing it in select stores in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the firm is still intending to launch it across its extensive network in the coming year as intended, it views chicken products as complementary to its core pizza business.

Leadership Comment

The Domino's chair, the Domino's chair, said: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to boost expansion and value creation in the main pizza segment. We are concentrating on selecting the ideal CEO to oversee the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”

Industry Challenges

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said sales dipped by 1.5% in the latest quarter. In August, it alerted that the quick-service industry had “intensified” as it blamed reduced spending in the period before the government announcement and increasing labor expenses for disappointing revenue and a 15 percent decline in six-month income.

Competitors are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut announced the closing of 68 restaurants a recently, after the firm behind its British operations faced financial collapse.

Wellness Efforts

Adapting to market shifts towards healthier eating, Domino's has introduced reduced-calorie options, such as its thin-crust range of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as vegan and allergy-friendly options. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 calories. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171, while a individual has under 1,000 calories.

Interim Leadership

The interim chief has been with the company since 2021, and was formerly with the gaming group a well-known operator. It is believed that she does not want to occupy the chief executive role on a full-time basis.

She said: “Our team has a several current growth and performance initiatives that we will be focused on executing at pace.”

She said these included ongoing development on the company's supply chain and new item creation, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also in need of a full-time chief financial officer until the spring, when a new appointee starts from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. For now, Richard Snow acts as interim finance chief.