Former Leo Burnett Worldwide head of mobile and social James Kirkham is to join Bigballs Media  as chief strategy officer Europe and head of Copa90, with the aim to grow the brand globally.

Kirkham will lead a team of 50 in the UK office, developing innovations in mobile and social, creating partnerships with emerging platforms and further developing current brand partnerships with advertisers, such as Hyundai.

“I’ve been invited to help disrupt sports media around the world, and to run the most exciting, progressive, football network on the planet which is backed by some of the most respected investors in media and tech, so I’m pinching myself,” said Kirkham.

“Football has never been bigger, yet a comically old fashioned media model still exists, and it is nowhere near well enough equipped to satisfy a modern fan,” he added. “Copa90 has changed the game, and I could not be more excited to lead it into the next era.”

Kirkham will report to Bigballs Media chief executive Tom Thirlwall, who felt that the acquisition was “a massive coup for this business”.

“He built one of the outstanding agency brands of the last decade in Holler, worked with some of the most progressive global brands and is a leading voice in media and innovation,” said Thirlwall, on Kirkham’s success in leading the combined social media and mobile capabilities at Leo Burnett and selling the business he co-founded, Holler, to Publicis Groupe in 2010.

“He is therefore perfect to lead the global expansion of Copa90 and, moreover, the growth of Bigballs Media as the new player in the sports media landscape”

Read M&M Global’s exclusive interview with Bigballs CEO Tom Thirlwall.