CRA Poaches Nine Growth Executive Helena O’Dowd to Drive Audio’s Commercial Push
•February 16, 2026
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Why It Matters
The hire signals CRA’s aggressive push to protect and grow audio’s share of advertising spend as streaming services erode traditional radio revenues, offering advertisers a more unified, data‑driven buying experience.
Key Takeaways
- •CRA creates Head of Commercial Strategy role.
- •Helena O'Dowd joins from Nine's growth team.
- •Goal: boost audio audience, simplify ad buying.
- •Move counters streaming platforms' ad share.
- •HEARD ’26 will showcase audio's commercial roadmap.
Pulse Analysis
Australia’s audio market is at a crossroads, with commercial radio and podcasting battling for ad dollars against global streaming giants like Spotify and YouTube. While radio still commands mass reach, advertisers increasingly demand measurable, cross‑platform solutions. CRA’s decision to appoint a dedicated commercial strategist reflects a broader industry shift toward data‑rich buying tools and unified audience metrics, positioning audio as a viable alternative to digital video for brand campaigns.
Helena O’Dowd brings a rare blend of growth‑focused expertise and deep agency experience, having overseen audience expansion, retention, and high‑profile partnerships at Nine, OMD, and EssenceMediacom. Her track record of integrating content assets—from broadcast to streaming services—equips her to navigate the fragmented audio ecosystem. At CRA, she will operationalise the 2030 Strategic Plan, leveraging audience scale and emerging measurement frameworks to streamline advertiser access and drive incremental revenue.
For marketers, O’Dowd’s arrival promises a more cohesive buying journey, with clearer pricing, inventory transparency, and performance insights across radio, digital audio, and podcasting. The upcoming HEARD ’26 conference will serve as a litmus test for these initiatives, gathering over a thousand industry leaders to evaluate audio’s commercial roadmap. If successful, the move could reshape ad spend allocation, reinforcing audio’s role as a growth channel and compelling streaming platforms to innovate their own commercial offerings.
CRA poaches Nine growth executive Helena O’Dowd to drive audio’s commercial push
Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) has appointed Nine’s Director of Growth and Retention, Helena O’Dowd, as the new Head of Commercial Strategy.
According to the organisation, the move is intended to drive audience expansion and revenue increases throughout Australia’s audio sector.
In this newly created role, O’Dowd will oversee industry-wide initiatives within CRA’s 2030 Strategic Plan.
Her primary objectives are to strengthen audio’s commercial value and simplify the purchasing process for advertisers.
Her appointment arrives at a critical time, as radio and digital audio operators work to protect their share of advertising spend against competition from global streaming and video platforms, including Spotify and YouTube.
Strategic hire signals stronger commercial push
CRA CEO Lizzie Young stated that the appointment reflects the industry body’s intent to sharpen its commercial focus while better connecting advertisers with the Australian audio ecosystem.
“This is an exciting appointment for CRA. Helena’s understanding of the consumer marketing landscape and commercial realities makes her well-placed to address the challenges facing marketers today,” Young said.
“We have significant audience scale and data demonstrating that audio drives profitable growth for brands. Our innovation pipeline focuses on strategic priorities to expand our reach and make audio easier to buy. This role, with its dedicated customer focus, complements our existing activities and the CRA team supporting Australia’s commercial audio broadcasting sector.”
Lizzie Young. Source: CRA
The position highlights CRA’s focus on commercialisation as measurement tools and buying platforms become central to the competition for marketing budgets.
Nine loses key growth operator
O’Dowd joins CRA after serving as Director of Growth and Retention at Nine.
There, she worked across a broad portfolio including the 9Network, 9Now, Nine Publishing, Nine Radio, Stan, Domain, and Drive. Her remit also included major commercial partnerships with the NRL, Tennis Australia, and the Olympic movement.
Prior to Nine, O’Dowd held senior roles at media agencies OMD and EssenceMediacom.
For O’Dowd, the move represents a personal shift and a vote of confidence in the commercial trajectory of audio.
“Audio is growing, which shows that consumers value the role it plays in their lives,” O’Dowd said.
“I am excited to join CRA, where the industry’s appetite to move at pace has been positive. I look forward to helping customers access leading brands in a seamless way to solve business problems.”
Her appointment comes ahead of HEARD ’26, CRA’s industry showcase in Sydney.
More than 1,000 marketers and agency leaders are expected to gather to discuss the latest commercial roadmap for the sector.
Stakes rising in battle for ad dollars
The hire underscores the audio sector’s push to position itself as a growth channel by leveraging strong reach and improved measurement frameworks.
With commercial radio delivering mass reach and podcasting driving incremental growth, CRA’s latest executive move signals a coordinated effort to translate audience scale into commercial returns.
For Nine, O’Dowd’s departure marks the loss of a strategist at a time when media companies are focusing on retention and audience monetisation.
Main image: Helena O’Dowd
The post CRA poaches Nine growth executive Helena O’Dowd to drive audio’s commercial push appeared first on Mediaweek.
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