Mr. Dowd is currently Chief of Staff for the office of Paul A. Volcker, Chairman of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, a position he assumed in February 2009. In this role he directly assists the Chairman with his duties running the Board, crafting and influencing financial regulatory reform, and advising the President, Treasury Department, and other senior government officials.
From 1992 to 2008, Mr. Dowd founded and grew the private equity business at Charter Oak Partners, serving as a General Partner of Charter Oak Capital, a private equity co-investment fund, and later was named a partner in the hedge fund. During his 16 years at Charter Oak, Mr. Dowd and his team acquired over 30 companies in the industrial components, medical, chemical, consumer products and financial services industries.
Prior to Charter Oak, he was a Senior Associate with James D. Wolfensohn, Inc., a New York based investment banking firm which advised large domestic and international corporations on mergers and acquisitions. From 1981 to 1986, Mr. Dowd served as an officer in the United States Army in the First Cavalry Division as a Tank Platoon Leader, Scout Platoon Leader, and Company Commander.
Mr. Dowd graduated with distinction from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering. He received a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1988.
Mr. Dowd currently serves on the Board of Directors for CirTec Medical Devices (Los Gatos, CA) and Future Pipe Industries, Ltd. (Dubai, UAE).