Microsoft’s UK online services group GM Sharon Baylay is becoming the BBC’s director of marketing, comms and audiences, succeeding Tim Davie, who became audio and music director last year.
There’s an irony in this latest turn of the revolving door between the two organisations – Baylay had been with Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) when former BBC/Kangaroo online chief Ashley Highfield was in November announced as MD and VP of Microsoft’s online and consumer business; her division merged with another. It also follows the earlier appointments of Erik Huggers and Jon Billings to the BBC’s future media team from Microsoft in 2007.
Baylay had been responsible for MSN UK, Windows Live and the Multimap acquisition. She joined in 1993 after working at Olivetti, IBM, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and Compaq, and holds the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s diploma. Highfield took up Baylay’s reformed role in January. Release.