Global digital sports agency, Stadion, has announced the appointment of former digital lead at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), FC Barcelona, and Manchester City, Russell Stopford, as its new CEO.

Launched in 2014 by founder, Lee Cook, Stadion builds products from websites to apps and voice interactions around a central publishing hub, working recently with sporting organisations including the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), Team GB, the Union Cycliste International (UCI), and several clubs from the English Premier League, Scottish Premier League, and English Championship.

Discussing his new role, coming to the organisation immediately following the previous four years as the chief digital officer at PSG, Stopford said: “Stadion has an outstanding reputation for creating bespoke high performance digital experiences for some of the most respected brands in sport.”

“The business continues to go from strength to strength and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to evolve the offering and to lead and work alongside a very talented team of innovative and creative individuals.

“Stadion has developed a suite of purpose-built products which ensure clients achieve maximum engagement with their customers across all aspects of digital and social in an extremely user-friendly way.

“This is an exciting time for Stadion,” Stopford said.

Stadion founder, Lee Cook, said Stopford will play a crucial role in leading the organisation’s strategic growth and development, as well as their portfolio across football, rugby union, and national sports governing bodies.

“When you have worked in sport for as long as I have, you get to know some amazing people and occasionally an opportunity to work with them,” Cook said.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with Russell [Stopford] over the last eleven years since we met while he was at Manchester City.

“With his experience at some of the top clubs and digital businesses in the world I knew we had a rare opportunity to bring someone with a wealth of knowledge and expertise into Stadion.

“I’m delighted he has joined the team and can’t wait to grow the company together,” he said.