Episode #237 features a rare public interview with Brendan
Dowling, Deputy Secretary for Critical Infrastructure and
Protective Security at Australia’s Department of Home Affairs —
one of the government’s most senior national security roles.
Brendan was previously Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs.
In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Brendan shares his journey
from growing up in Melbourne with Indian and Irish heritage to
operating at the heart of Australia’s national security system.
He reflects on the influence of a mother who migrated from
Chennai, a scientist father, and a deep sense of service shaped
by family, education and community.Brendan unpacks his real
career story — working across refugee camps in the Middle East,
representing Australia in Washington during President Trump’s
first term, negotiating complex international agreements with the
United States, and navigating the frontlines of cyber and
critical infrastructure security.
It’s time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy!
Note: this episode was recorded on the 14th November, 2025.
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CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please
enjoy!
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This is the sixth episode in this special series with the
Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India
Relations, highlighting the deepening ties between Australia and
India across technology, business, media, culture and sport. With
nearly one million people of Indian heritage now calling
Australia home—the country’s fastest-growing large diaspora—this
series brings to light the untold stories of change makers
shaping the future of both nations.
Other guests in this series include Peter Varghese, Sweta Mehra,
Bharat Sundaresan, Lisa Stahlalekar and Sanjeev Gandhi,
reflecting the breadth of Indian-Australian impact at the most
senior levels across government, education, sport, business and
culture.
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The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously
researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of
remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer".
Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts
for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200
episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in
Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.
200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on
the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm
Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP,
Product for Google Chrome, Photos and Drive), Andy Penn (CEO,
Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad
Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jillian Broadbent (Board Member,
Macquarie Capital), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen
Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief
Investment Officer, Hostplus), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird
Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x
Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond Football Club), Jason
Collins (Head of Australasia, BlackRock) and many more.
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