Álvaro Santos Pereira is Director of the Country Studies Branch at the OECD Economics Department, where he oversees the making of Economic Surveys. He provides leadership in the co-ordination and management of the activities of the Directorate and ensures that it is at the forefront of the international political economy agenda. He identifies challenges and develops ways in which the OECD can promote policies to improve member and partner countries long-term economic performance. Prior to joining the OECD, Mr. Pereira was Minister for Economy & Employment in Portugal, responsible for the areas of Industry, Commerce and Services, Tourism, Energy and Public Works, Transportation, and Employment. Mr. Pereira was in charge of a major programme of economic and labour reforms. Previously, he taught economics in universities in Canada and the UK. Mr. Pereira has published a number of academic books and papers.