AO CMF Asia Pacific (AP) Board Chairperson election result 2025
With a renewed commitment to education, collaboration, and community, AO CMF Latin America welcomes its newly elected Regional Board officers. The visionary leaders Juan Larrañaga (Chairperson), Gabriel Pires Pastore (Education Officer), Maria Gabriela Nassif (Community Development Officer), Rodrigo Pereira (Research Officer), and Rodrigo Liceaga-Reyes (Regional Affairs Officer) share a passion for elevating AO CMF care across the region. From expanding access to world-class educational programs to empowering the next generation of the AO CMF, they aim to position AO CMF Latin America as a global reference in excellence, innovation, and engagement.
Following the elections held in the second quarter of 2025 and ended in the first quarter of 2026, the AO CMF Latin America Board is pleased to announce the newly elected members of the Board.
The candidacies were carefully reviewed by their respective Nomination Committees and were confirmed by the AO CMF International Board and AO CMF Latin America Board, according to the criteria and requirements of the AO CMF Terms of Reference.
Please join us in congratulating the newly elected officers of the AO CMF Latin America Board.
Juan Larrañaga (Chairperson)
"AO CMF Latin America is going through a period of transformation, in which the loss of funding in some countries has highlighted deeper challenges: the need to reduce dependence on a single sponsorship model, decrease regional inequities, rebuild internal trust, and increase the representation of Latin American talent within the international community. Facing this scenario, the new leadership phase will seek to strengthen a region that is more united, collaborative, sustainable, and innovative, based on a culture of respect, open communication, and shared purpose. The strategy will focus on developing more flexible educational and financial models adapted to the Latin American reality, promoting new strategic partners, collaboration with academic centers, hybrid and multicentric activities, hospital-based training programs, and lower-cost formats without compromising quality. At the same time, it will be a priority to identify, support, and project the next generation of leaders, educators, and researchers from the region, consolidating a more integrated AO CMF Latin America that is globally visible and prepared to face future challenges.”
Juan Larrañaga, from Argentina, was elected as the next Chairperson of the AO CMF Latin America Board and his official term will run from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2029.
In addition, he is a Staff Surgeon at Hospital Italiano in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with specialized training in General Surgery, Head and Neck Surgery, and Plastic Surgery. As a medical graduate of Universidad Favaloro and a specialist in General Surgery, Head and Neck Surgery, and Plastic Surgery through the Asociación Argentina de Cirugía, he has built a distinguished career combining advanced surgical expertise with leadership in clinical practice, education, and professional organizations. His commitment to continuous professional development includes participation in the Surgical Leadership Program at Harvard University.
Within AO CMF, Dr Larrañaga currently serves as Regional Affairs Officer on the AO CMF Latin America Board (2023–2026). A highly engaged contributor to AO CMF education, he has participated as International Faculty, including at AO Davos Courses, as well as Regional Faculty, National Faculty, Chairperson, and Co-Chairperson. He has completed the Faculty Education Program (FEP), Chairperson Education Program (CEP), and Leadership Education Program (LEP). Beyond AO CMF, he is actively involved in numerous professional societies, including the Argentine Association of Surgery, the Argentine Association of Head and Neck Surgery, the Argentine Society of Microsurgery, and is a founding member of the Argentine Society of Aesthetic and Functional Rhinoplasty (SAREF), reflecting his longstanding commitment to surgical excellence and professional leadership.
Please join us in extending our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Wong. We are confident that under his leadership, his term will be both rewarding and fruitful for the entire AP community. We deeply appreciate his commitment and look forward to his continued contributions to the AO CMF Asia Pacific Board in the coming years.
Once again, thank you all for your ongoing support of AO CMF.
Sincerely,
Your AO CMF team