Rob Wiblin studied both genetics and economics at the Australian National University (ANU), and was named Young Alumnus of the Year in 2015. He worked as a research economist in various Australian Government agencies including the Treasury and Productivity Commission. He then moved to Oxford in the UK to work at the Centre for Effective Altruism, first as Research Director and then Executive Director. He then became Research Director for 80,000 Hours as it was going through Y Combinator in 2015.