Jim Dowd was a publicity executive who worked for many years at NBC Universal, where he worked closely with Donald Trump on The Apprentice, and later formed his own firms.

The Fairfield, Connecticut, native graduated from the University of Notre Dame and got his start in television at A&E and History before joining NBC, where he became director of publicity on the East Coast. He launched his first public relations firm, the Dowd Agency, in 2005, and some years later established another company, Dowd Ink. He also worked at GolinHarris, Sparkpr and Frank Public Relations.

He formed a professional relationship with future U.S. President Trump at NBC, when he worked on The Apprentice, and he continued to represent Trump at the Dowd Agency.

Dowd died on September 18, 2016, in Fairfield, Connecticut, at age 42. No cause of death was reported at the time of his passing.