SOUTHAMPTON Football Club’s main sponsor aap3, has strengthened its management team with the appointment of senior IT leader Jim O’Donnell, pictured, as chief operating officer.

The Hampshire-based global IT services and recruitment provider, has made the appointment following a number of client wins during 2012, and to assist with growth plans in 2013.

Jim brings with him 35 years of IT and recruitment experience and recently headed up the planning and implementation of the much-lauded Cisco House project at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

He oversaw the 20,000 sq ft project, which had more than 11,000 visitors from May to September, all by invite only, targeting business decision-makers.

The theme of the house was Business Transformation and provided a multi-sensory, multi-media and interactive experience.

Jim said: “I’ve known the team at aapÿfor a number of years and when the chance came to join this company, there was no way I could have turned the opportunity down.

There is so much talent and part of my role will be to nurture and develop that.”

“There are seven billion people on earth and by 2015 there will be over 21 billion ‘things’ connected to the Internet – for this reason alone the IT industry needs to get smarter at how we manage the sheer volume of devices and the data they produce.”

Rod Jackson, president and chief executive of aapÿ, said: “Jim will be a great mentor for our team, and will be assisting me with the day-to-day running of the business.”