Øyvind Thomassen appointed Chief Economist at the Norwegian Competition Authority

Professor Øyvind Thomassen (49) has been appointed as the new Chief Economist at the Norwegian Competition Authority. He joins the Authority from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), and will take up the position on 1 October.

Thomassen holds a PhD (DPhil) in Economics from the University of Oxford and is currently a Professor at the Norwegian School of Economics. Over the course of an international academic career, he has developed extensive expertise in competition economics.

– We are delighted to welcome Øyvind Thomassen to our team. He is a highly respected researcher with broad expertise. His experience and knowledge of competition economics will further develop the Norwegian Competition Authority’s strong professional environment and strengthen our efforts to promote effective competition for the benefit of businesses and consumers, says Director General Mads Magnussen.

Thomassen has previously held academic positions at KU Leuven in Belgium, the University of Oxford, Seoul National University in South Korea, and the Norwegian School of Economics. His research is published in leading international journals, and Thomassen has devoted much of his career to the study of competition economics.

As Chief Economist, he will be responsible for leading and further developing the Authority’s competition economics unit, which plays a vital role in the Authority’s work.

– Competition policy is vital to productivity, innovation and welfare. I look forward to working on concrete cases and contributing to the economic analyses conducted by the Norwegian Competition Authority maintaining the highest professional standards. The Authority has a strong professional environment, and I am excited to become part of it, says Thomassen.

The Director General believes the appointment will further reinforce the Norwegian Competition Authority’s position as a highly competent, professional and forward-looking competition authority.

– Øyvind combines a strong research background with the ability to communicate complex economic reasoning and market dynamics in an accessible way. He brings both academic authority and a collaborative approach, and will be an important representative of the Norwegian Competition Authority in its engagement with businesses, the research community and the public, says Magnussen.