Nom UK CEO David Potts is leaving the business at the end of 2011 ahead of a major expansion drive by the yoghurt maker.

His role is not being replaced and responsibility for UK operations is passing to the company's international CEO Christoph Wenisch, who only joined the business earlier this year.

Wenisch said he wanted Nom UK to take a "bigger slice" of the UK dairy market and expand its production facilities, potentially adding production lines and doubling the size of its 160-strong operation.

The move would see Nom ramp up production from 350 million pots a year to one billion pots, he claimed.

"Three billion pots of short-life dairy products are imported into the UK every year and one of our objectives is to make meaningful inroads into that market with UK retail partners," Wenisch said.

Nom said it planned to invest £110m in its expansion and that it was exploring partnerships with other companies to accelerate its growth. It added that it was currently in talks with three potential partners and was open to co-operation agreements of all kinds.

Wenisch said he was currently looking to recruit a new sales director and bulk up Nom UK's commercial team to help him implement the company's new strategy.

About half of Nom UK's £70m turnover at retail value is accounted for by own-label activity, with the other half taken up by its Nom brand and Tesco's Yoo venture brand of yoghurts.

The company claims it currently supplies "more than 90%" of supermarkets in the UK and Ireland with ­either branded or own-label products.

Wenisch joined Austrian parent company Nom AG earlier this year, having spent 16 years at Kraft Foods in various international roles, most recently vice-president for South-East Europe and Turkey. He was previously a management consultant with McKinsey & Company.

Potts joined Nom UK in 2008 after his role of director of Dairy Farmers of Britain Commercial and 17 years at rival dairy Müller.