As one former BBC marketing director says, the executive board-level position requires someone who can 'very quickly distinguish what is daily drama and what is a potential disaster', and of late the BBC seems to have experienced more of the latter than the former. Indeed, the previous incumbent, Tim Davie, who was promoted to director of audio and music, found himself in the eye of the storm when the 'Sachsgate' scandal broke, because he had ultimate responsibility for radio output. The furore claimed the scalp of the controller of Radio 2, Lesley Douglas, although Davie successfully distanced himself from it.
Baylay's new position is undoubtedly a highly political one. Although it comes with a salary that should help cushion the potential pain, this aspect of the job will only intensify; as the media becomes ever-more interactive, serious questions are being raised over the legitimacy of the Licence Fee and audiences feel a sense of ownership over what they consume and are more willing to voice their concerns.
Despite the inherent risks, Baylay views audience interaction as one of the most important tools in ensuring that the BBC remains relevant to viewers. She seems eminently qualified in this respect. For part of her 15 years at Microsoft, she was interactive TV marketing manager, coinciding with what she describes as a 'highly innovative time when TV consumption suddenly moved away from the "sit back" approach'. This in-depth understanding of broadcasting's internal systems no doubt set Baylay apart from rival candidates - despite a profile so low it would challenge limbo dancers - and prompted one industry insider to speculate she has a solid grounding in 'the pipes rather than the poetry'.
The time the BBC management has taken to find the right person for the job might have raised eyebrows, but it took just as long to appoint Davie as successor to Andy Duncan, now chief executive of Channel 4. The BBC's vetting process for this role is notoriously extensive, so what qualities was it looking for, and how does Baylay meet these requirements?
At face value, the differences between Baylay and her immediate predecessors are clear - both Davie and Duncan come from FMCG marketing backgrounds, the former having been a marketing director at Pepsi, the latter getting his grounding at Unilever. Baylay's online and digital background is a clear signal of where the BBC's future focus lies and her appointment is seen by many in the industry as an interesting indication of this. She has experience of online youth culture, working on MSN services such as Hotmail and Messenger, an area the BBC has yet to get to grips with successfully.
One debate sure to draw in Baylay from the outset is where the digital switchover surplus money will be spent. With Channel 4 more than willing to take the £130m a year that was ring-fenced from the Licence Fee off the BBC's hands, she will have to fight to get the money redirected to other BBC projects. With the Kangaroo on-demand service now vetoed, another high priority will be a fresh on-demand strategy to grow the BBC's iPlayer. Considerable thought will need to be devoted to how to compete in an environment with such a proliferation of platforms.
While at Microsoft, Baylay worked not only as a marketer but also in management roles. In her most recent post, she delivered business strategies, was responsible for commercial and financial performance, introduced corporate responsibility for child welfare online and oversaw human resources.
Although unwilling to discuss the over-flowing in-tray that will undoubtedly await her at Television Centre, Baylay is happy to talk in general terms about management. 'In any senior role there are three priorities,' she says. 'The first is to establish and communicate a strategy and business direction, the second is to create an environment where people can produce their best work, and the third is to ensure your team can grow and develop their own careers.'
Terry McGrath, managing partner at ad agency McCann Erickson, worked with Baylay at Microsoft over a seven-year period. She describes her as 'strategic and logical', with an 'acute commercial sense'. McGrath predicts Baylay will approach her new role fearlessly, identifying opportunities and motivating her team.
That 'team' will be enormous. Baylay's remit includes not only the marketing of all the BBC's content, but also its public relations and consumer research divisions, a consolidation that was overseen by Duncan. Before his appointment in 2001, responsibility for marketing was limited to on-air ads; however, he redefined the role, extending its duties and putting it at the centre of all audience communication.
It was a shrewd move, and one that served Duncan well, judging by his subsequent elevation to the top job at Channel 4. One TV insider claims that Duncan's changes made the department instrumental in shaping the BBC's output, as customer research is at the heart of its investment in content and deciding which programmes are marketed where.
Despite the current economic challenges, there is little doubt that the Corporation - with its guaranteed revenue stream - is financially in a very strong, almost monopolistic, position. That said, increased public and governmental scrutiny has meant that it is being forced to examine its budget, although whether out of genuine hardship or the need to be seen to be doing something in the current climate is open to question.
However, the BBC PR department has successfully communicated that it, too, is donning a hair shirt, with stories emerging covering its cutbacks on corporate hospitality and the pay freeze to which its senior managers will be subject this year; several news outlets even ran a piece that presenter Susanna Reid was considering covering the Oscars wearing a £19.99 vintage dress bought at Oxfam.
Given this context, the Corporation's protected status means Baylay must be wary of being seen to crow too much about its programme successes at a time when its rivals are forced to cut staff and reduce their reliance on expensive formats.
Baylay says that what attracts her to a new role is 'a challenge'. She will certainly not be short of one here.