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Commercial Radio & Audio has appointed Helena O’Dowd as head of commercial strategy, a newly created role aligned with the organization’s 2030 strategic plan.
CRA says the position is focused on delivering industry-wide initiatives to drive audience and revenue growth across Australia’s commercial audio sector. In the role, O’Dowd will be responsible for understanding the needs of both consumers and clients and developing solutions at an industry level.
O’Dowd brings more than 20 years of experience across marketing and media. Most recently, she served as director of growth and retention at Nine, working across 9Network, 9Now, Nine Publishing, Nine Radio, Stan, Domain, Drive and Pedestrian, as well as with external partners including the NRL, Tennis Australia, Rugby Australia, the Australian Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia. Before Nine, she held senior roles at OMD and EssenceMediacom.
Lizzie Young, CEO of Commercial Radio & Audio, said, “This is an exciting appointment for CRA and the entire industry. Helena’s understanding of the consumer marketing landscape, as well as commercial realities, makes her exceptionally well placed to understand the challenges facing marketers today.”
O’Dowd said, “I am excited to step into the world of CRA, where collaboration and appetite amongst the industry and members to move at pace have been overwhelmingly positive, ensuring the future is bright for the category. I look forward to helping customers access some of Australia’s leading brands in a more seamless way to help solve business problems and deliver results.”
The appointment comes ahead of Heard ’26, scheduled for Feb. 18 at ICC Sydney, where around 1,000 marketers, agency executives and creative leaders are expected to gather for what CRA describes as the audio industry’s annual showcase.
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