Baylay to Leave BBC in Marketing Shake-up

The BBC has axed the role of Director of Marketing, Communications and Audiences (MC&A) held by Sharon Baylay, and integrated her team into an expanded division led by COO Caroline Thompson.

Baylay joined the corporation as a Board member in February 2009, to lead a team of more than 400 staff responsible for marketing, communications, audience research and audience services. She was previously General Manager of Microsoft Online Services Division UK.

The changes have taken place amid a review of the BBC's marketing function, which has seen its budget cut by £4.3m to £89m for the year 2010/11.

Both the MC&A team and human resources division (BBC People) join the expanded operations group as part of Thompson's strategy to simplify the organisation, streamline its structures and reduce senior manager numbers and 'paybill'.

In a staff e-mail, Thompson thanked Baylay for the contribution she has made since joining the corporation.

'Sharon's leadership of all of the workstreams within the marketing review will prove invaluable as we take the disciplines of marketing, communications and audiences on to the next stage in the BBC,' Thompson added.

Web site: www.bbc.co.uk .