On the Couch with Phil Bowen

Mr Bowen commenced his four year term as the inaugural Parliamentary Budget Officer on 23 July 2012.

For the previous five years Mr Bowen was a member of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) based in Manila, Philippines. In this role he represented a constituency of eleven ADB members comprising: Australia; Azerbaijan; Cambodia; Georgia; Hong Kong; Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia; Nauru; Palau; Solomon Islands; and Tuvalu.

Mr Bowen headed the Budget Group of the Australian Department of Finance and Administration from 2001 to 2007. Mr Bowen was awarded an Australian Public Service Medal (PSM) in the 2006 Australia Day Honours for his work in developing and implementing enhanced whole-of-government budget processes.

Since the early 1990s, Mr Bowen has also held other senior positions within the Finance Department with a range of responsibilities, including oversight of the Australian Government’s financial management policies, and commercialisation of the Government’s domestic and overseas property portfolios.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Mr Bowen held senior roles in Australian civil aviation policy and administration. He played a lead role in the development of the policy for the deregulation of Australia’s domestic airline industry. He participated in the establishment of the Australian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and headed the Airways Operations Group of the CAA for three years, placing it on a more commercial footing.

Mr Bowen has also served from time to time as either the chair or a member of a number of corporate and ministerial advisory boards, audit committees, and the Australian Public Sector Accounting Standards Board.

Earlier in his career Mr Bowen was engaged in applied research in agricultural economics and industry policy.

Mr Bowen holds qualifications in agricultural science, economics and accounting. He is a Fellow of CPA Australia and al alumnus of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.