Biographies

Director, Marketing, Communications & Audiences

Sharon Baylay is the Director of the BBC's Marketing, Communications & Audiences division and is responsible for all marketing, communications, audience research and audience services across the BBC.

She took up her post in May 2009.

Sharon was previously General Manager of Microsoft Online Services Division UK, where she was responsible for the growth and development of the company's Windows Live and MSN businesses, including the acquisition of Multimap.

She joined Microsoft in 1993, holding a range of marketing and management roles, running the international MSN businesses in EMEA, Asia Pacific, Greater China and the Americas.

Under her leadership, MSN was a founding member of the Government-led cooperative effort to address the growing problem of cyberbullying. Microsoft is also a member of the Home Office Task Force on Child Protection on the internet and Sharon was instrumental in ensuring that the good practice recommendations were reviewed and in most cases adopted by the business.

Sharon began her professional career at Olivetti and Computacentre, working on IBM, Apple and Compaq, and is a holder of a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.