Axel Smits

Axel Smits leads the People Related Services business of PwC Belgium and runs the Rewards Services team. He is an active client Partner helping organizations develop, implement and maintain sustainable people related strategies, especially in the field of Reward. He combines these roles with that of Managing Partner of PwC Europe and is member of the PwC Europe Board. A lawyer by training with additional degrees in taxation, accounting and finance, Axel is a chartered tax consultant.
He became a Partner in 2004. On 1 July 2013, he became the Managing Partner of TLS and in 2015 took on the lead role for TLS in the EMEA region for PwC until 2017. In that capacity he was also a member of the global tax leadership team. Axel assumed the position of Chairman and Territory Senior Partner of the Belgian firm between July 2016 and June 2024.

In addition to his management roles, Axel is a chartered tax consultant and has more than 30 years experience as an international tax advisor, helping corporate clients across the globe. Over this period, he has been very active as both a speaker and as a writer of articles and books, in his area of expertise. Topics included intellectual property, substance in international tax planning and Reward.

(Co)author of a wide range of books and articles, most recently of the books “Operating with Positive Impact” and “Reward: attracting and retaining key talent with compelling reward”.

Degrees

• Master after Master in Finance, 1996, University of Leuven
• Master after Master in Taxation, 1993, BKR Antwerp
• Master of Law, 1990, University of Antwerp