On 4 January 2010, Alexis Walckiers was appointed by the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) as its first chief economist. Mr. Walckiers, 33, holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Brussels University. Before joining the BCA, he was a consultant specialising in competition economics at a consultancy firm and taught economics at Brussels University. By hiring a chief economist, the BCA is following the lead from the European Commission and other EU member states.