Don Meij

Don Meij is an Australian business leader, innovator, and entrepreneur, best known for his transformative 22-year tenure as CEO and Managing Director of Domino’s Pizza Australia. Rising from pizza delivery driver to CEO of Australia’s largest and first publicly listed pizza chain, Don’s story is one of passion, dedication, and entrepreneurial vision.

Don began his career in 1987 delivering pizzas for Silvio’s Dial-a-Pizza in Redcliffe, Queensland, while studying to become a high school teacher. By 1996, he had purchased his first franchise in what is now Domino’s Pizza, quickly building a network of 17 stores. Following the sale of his stores into Domino’s, Don became Chief Operating Officer in 2001 and Group CEO in 2002. In 2005, he led Domino’s Pizza to become Australia’s first publicly listed pizza chain on the ASX.

Under Don’s leadership, Domino’s Pizza Enterprise Limited (DPE) grew into the largest master franchise in the world, operating over 2,700 stores across Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Luxembourg, and Denmark, employing more than 82,000 people. Don championed innovation and technology, introducing world-first initiatives including GPS Driver Tracker technology, autonomous pizza delivery vehicles, drone deliveries, and the AI-powered DOM Pizza Checker to ensure quality and consistency.

Don has received numerous national and international awards, including the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Channel 7 Business Person of the Year (2015), Ernst & Young Australian Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2004), and AIM Professional Manager of the Year (2004, QLD). Internationally, he won Pizza International Manager of the Year (1996) and the Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Leadership (2004). In 2016, he was listed No. 4 on Business Insider’s “100 Coolest People in Australian Tech,” and Domino’s ranked No. 20 on Forbes’ Most Innovative Growth Companies list.

In 2018, Domino’s was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in recognition of its remarkable national and international success under Don’s leadership. In 2019, he united DPE markets behind a singular purpose: bringing people closer through the world’s best bonding food—pizza. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Domino’s, under Don’s direction, donated over 200,000 meals to frontline workers and purchased more than 15.5 million items of PPE to support communities and employees.

Don retired in 2024 after almost 40 years with the company but remains a member of the board, leaving a legacy of disruptive innovation, market leadership, and a deeply people-focused approach that has redefined the Australian and global pizza industry.