The move cuts the number of directors on the company’s board to three.

Retail Food Group (RFG), operator of the Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Donut King and Crust restaurant brands, announced that its director has resigned and will take on an operational consulting role for the franchisor.

In a statement sent to the ASX, RFG executive chairman Peter George said Jessica Buchanan’s resignation was in order to "facilitate her transition to a dedicated operational consulting role".

“[Buchanan’s] new role will allow her to directly drive the execution and delivery of the many strategic initiatives she has played a key role in formulating,” George explained.

The announcement came weeks afterThe Age and Sydney Morning Herald revealedconflict of interest concerns among some senior RFG managers when Buchanan started her own private food brand called Naytiv and attempted to have it sold into RFG's chains.

In the same statement, George noted that product innovation and campaigns would be critical to the "revitalisation of RFG’s franchisee network which will, in turn, underpin the operational turnaround of RFG”.