Layercake appoints former Fox Sports Executive as Chair

Layercake has appointed Jon Marquard as Director and Chairperson, adding a former Fox Sports and Network Ten executive to its board.

The Sydney-based media technology company said Marquard will work with the executive team on strategy, international expansion and commercial partnerships. His appointment comes as Layercake looks to strengthen governance around its Streamcake media workflow platform.

Marquard has held senior operating and advisory roles across sports broadcasting, digital media and rights distribution. His previous executive positions include Chief Operating Officer at Fox Sports and Network Ten.

He has also advised broadcasters, telecommunications groups and sports bodies on media rights, distribution and technology projects. Layercake said this included partnerships with Optus covering the English Premier League, FIFA and UEFA competitions, as well as advisory roles involving the Nine Network and streaming businesses.

Layercake develops Streamcake, a platform for managing media production and distribution workflows. The product is designed to help broadcasters, sports organisations and other customers coordinate complex content operations across multiple systems and platforms.

Growth plans

The board appointment signals a push beyond the company's existing base as it seeks a broader international footprint. Layercake said it wants stronger oversight and industry experience as it develops its business and partnership strategy.

In comments issued with the announcement, Pádraig O'Donovan explained why the company had turned to Marquard. "Jon's appointment is a pivotal step for Layercake," said Pádraig O'Donovan, Chief Executive Officer of Layercake.

"His experience at the intersection of media, technology and commercial strategy is directly aligned with where we are heading as a business. As we scale Streamcake globally, his insight and leadership will be instrumental in shaping our next phase."

Layercake operates in a part of the media sector drawing increasing attention as broadcasters and sports groups juggle live production, cloud infrastructure and distribution across a growing number of outlets. Companies in this market aim to reduce the operational burden created by fragmented technology stacks and the need to move content quickly between production, processing and delivery systems.

Layercake said Streamcake is used in sports, broadcast and media settings, and integrates with providers including Grass Valley, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, AWS, Bitmovin, Ceeblue and Ant Media. That partner network forms part of its pitch to organisations that need to connect software and infrastructure from multiple vendors.

Industry background

Marquard's career has centred on commercial and operational roles in television and sport, where rights costs, platform shifts and digital distribution have reshaped business models. For a company such as Layercake, a chair with experience negotiating major rights and distribution agreements may bring a board-level perspective on how media customers make buying decisions and structure partnerships.

Marquard described the business as being at an important stage of development. "I'm delighted to join Layercake at such an important stage in its journey," said Jon Marquard, Director and Chairperson of Layercake.

"The company has built a highly differentiated platform in Streamcake, with clear global relevance. I look forward to working with the team to accelerate growth, deepen global partnerships and unlock new opportunities across the media and technology landscape."

Layercake describes itself as a provider of automation and orchestration tools for media production and distribution. Its focus on broadcasters, sports organisations and content operators places it in a market where suppliers are trying to simplify the management of live and on-demand media workflows across cloud and on-premise environments.

The appointment gives the company a chair whose background spans broadcast operations, rights distribution and digital transformation at a time when media groups are under pressure to make those functions work together more efficiently.