Early life and education
Dowling was born on 18 September 1983 in Fitzroy,Victoria and raised in Hobart Tasmania. His parents worked in the seafood industry,government services,and briefly ran a bookshop. [1]
He attended Tasmanian public schools and later studied Economics at the University of Tasmania,combining his studies with a cadetship at the Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance. He subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Warwick,focusing his dissertation on clean energy innovation. [2]
Career as an economist
Dowling worked at KFC while studying,before joining the Tasmanian Treasury as a policy analyst. Reflecting on this time,he joked that he moved "from the fryer to fiscal policy" and learned that "responsible economic management is the foundation of any good government." [3]
In his early twenties,he became Chief Economist at the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI). Known for frequent media commentary,he has said that while his views sometimes divided opinion,the role taught him how to explain economic issues in plain terms.
Dowling retained his Labor Party membership and engaged closely with the Australian Workers' Union (AWU). He described nights spent debating policy in the union boardroom,noting that while business and unions came from different angles,they "cared about the same thing —dignity at work and a decent future for working people." [4]
In 2010,he was appointed Senior Economic Adviser to Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings. He has said this role taught him that "behind every budget line is a life,a story,a community." [5]
Dowling later worked internationally at the intersection of economics and innovation,including roles in healthcare (Baxter Healthcare),clean energy (Faraday Grid),and technology. He served as Head of Asia Pacific,Government Relations &Public Policy at VMware until early 2024,before briefly joining Meta Platforms as Director of Public Policy.
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