Cathy O’Connor, CEO of Australian media company oOh!media and a World Out of Home Organization (WOO) board member, will be the first confirmed speaker at WOO’s 2025 Annual Congress in Mexico City. Scheduled for June 4–6, her keynote will focus on the rise of retail media and its potential synergies with the Out of Home (OOH) advertising sector.
Retail media, currently the fastest-growing media category globally, is projected to generate over $179.5 billion in revenue by 2025. O’Connor’s address will examine how in-store retail media networks—a rapidly expanding segment—could unlock new opportunities for OOH providers. She is expected to outline strategies for the sector to capitalize on this growth, drawing on oOh!media’s own initiatives.
In 2023, oOh!media launched its retail media division, reo, aimed at helping retailers develop and monetize omni-channel advertising networks. The division complements the company’s existing OOH portfolio, which includes more than 4,000 screens across 450 retail centers in Australia and New Zealand. Clients include Officeworks, Petbarn, The Warehouse Group, and Australia Post.
O’Connor, who became CEO of oOh!media in 2021, previously served as CEO of Nova Entertainment for 12 years, overseeing its expansion into multi-platform media and the launch of Smooth FM. Her career also includes leadership roles at Austereo, 2SM, and 2GB. Beyond her executive work, she chairs the Sony Foundation, sits on the Outdoor Media Association board, and participates in mentorship programs such as IMAA’s Female Leaders of Tomorrow.
WOO President Tom Goddard emphasized O’Connor’s expertise: “Cathy O’Connor is one of today’s ground-breaking media leaders, seeing the bigger media picture as well as the particular issues of OOH. Retail media is one of the key growth drivers for OOH now and in the future, and there could be no better guide to its opportunities and challenges.”
The 2025 WOO Congress will convene industry leaders to discuss trends, innovations, and challenges in OOH advertising. Registration for the event is now open via the official Congress website.
