About Layla Foord

I'm a product executive working across strategy, commercial development and digital innovation. I've led Product and Design at Go1, led product delivery across SEEK's international portfolio, and held executive responsibility at Rex Software and Smiling Mind.

My strength is seeing how an opportunity could take shape across the customer experience, the technology and the business model. I enjoy the imaginative part of that work, but also the choices it demands: who we will serve, what makes the offer distinctive, how it earns its place and what we should test first.

I stay involved in the product itself. That might mean developing a proposition, working through the experience with a team, or building something to find out whether the idea works. Moving between those perspectives helps me ask better questions and make better strategic decisions.

Products, businesses and teams I've led

I've led products and teams in founder-led businesses, global technology companies and mission-led organisations. The roles below show the range of that work.

Smiling Mind2023 to present

Chief Product & Operations Officer

I lead product and digital ecosystem strategy, develop the commercial model for school adoption and sustainability, and lead product definition and delivery for new family experiences. The work connects customer needs, evidence, commercial choices and the organisation’s capacity to deliver.

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Rex Software2021 to 2023

Chief Operating Officer

I joined a real estate software business during stalled growth, leading work across product, leadership and business direction. That included strengthening strategic planning and investor readiness, contributing to the company's preparation for private equity investment.

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Go12019 to 2021

VP Product & Design

I led Product and Design as the global learning business grew rapidly, developing platform strategy and enterprise product direction. The work connected the needs of enterprise customers and learners with choices about the platform, the offer and its capacity to scale.

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SEEK2017 to 2019

Global Head of Product Delivery

I led product delivery across SEEK's international portfolio, working with teams across Asia and Latin America. The portfolio served more than 16 million monthly active users, with product work spanning different markets, customer needs and commercial contexts.

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Envato2012 to 2016

General Manager

I led the team that built and launched Microlancer, a services marketplace connecting customers with creative professionals. We developed the product, pricing and supply model, and generated around $1 million in revenue in the first six months.

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Earlier roles included leading the ANZ business for a digital innovation consultancy, developing digital products at Sensis, and product and research leadership at Nielsen/VNU in London. That combination of research, technology and commercial work still influences how I approach a new opportunity.

A space of my own

Spark Space gives me somewhere to follow questions beyond the job in front of me, and to return to experiences I understand differently now.

I still think about counting wasted food after closing at McDonald's, and about the team photograph from my last day at Envato. Writing gives me time to stay with those memories and work out why they have lasted.

There are songs here too. Some are new; others began years ago, including one my dad wrote in the 1980s. I'm exploring fiction, different ways of learning, and what becomes possible when I can build an idea for myself.

Some of that connects with my professional work. Some of it matters to me for reasons I'm still finding words for. I'd like this space to have room for both.