Organization
AO Spine operates under its own governance model managed by the AO Spine International Board.
AO Spine's governing bodies consist of:
- the AO Spine International Board
- the Global Education, Research and Community Development Commissions
- five regional boards
- numerous country councils
Boards, commissions, and councils
Boards, commissions, and councils are composed of elected representatives and comply with the AO Foundation’s Code of Ethics and Shared Values. Additional committees and task forces may be appointed.
Holds strategic and operational decision-making capacity and budgetary control within its defined sphere of influence.
The five regional boards (Asia Pacific, Europe and Southern Africa, Middle East and Northern Africa, Latin America, and North America) are responsible for overseeing and planning the full range of actions and activities in the respective region. Moreover, they provide regional input to the respective commissions. Each region its own budget, leading to quicker decision-making and ensuring all activities are relevant to the specific regional needs.
A global, fixed steering group with an open duration, subordinate to the AO Spine International Board.
The three commissions - Education, Research and Community Development - operate globally and are responsible for establishing standards, leveraging resources, and ensuring best practice knowledge transfer across the regions. The commissions help to define, integrate, and implement coherent policies for the general good of the organization.
Administrative and decision-making unit of an AO Spine Country Chapter. It may or may not have budgetary control.
All regional boards operate country councils. This provides opportunities for local members to get involved in the organization.
Regional boards
Chairperson
Juan Emmerich
Chairperson-Elect
Pedro Berjano
Education Commission Chairperson
Manabu Ito
Research Commission Chairperson
Klaus Schnake
Community Development Commission Chairperson
Riccardo Cecchinato
AO SAP Chairperson
Jason Cheung
AO SESA Chairperson
Alpaslan Senkoylu
AO SMENA Chairperson
Muzahem Taha
AO SLA Chairperson
Luiz Gustavo Dal Oglio da Rocha
AO SNA Chairperson
Daniel Sciubba
Director
Jayr Bass
The AO Spine Europe and Southern Africa Board (AO SESA) is the operational body of AO Spine International focused on activities within Europe. AO SESA is a body of surgeons, who have responsibility and accountability for delivering valued products and services to European and Southern African members. The AO SESA Board is elected by the members of the AO SESA Country Chapters.
Chairperson
Alpaslan Senkoylu
Education
Markus Loibl
Community development
Marcel Ivanov
Research
Marcin Czyz
Member at Large
Sanesh Miseer
Regional Manager
Simona Giger
The AO Spine Asia Pacific Board (AO SAP) is the operational body of AO Spine International focused on activities within Asia Pacific. AO SAP is a body of surgeons, who have responsibility and accountability for delivering valued products and services to Asia Pacific members. The AO SAP Board is elected by the members of the AO SAP Country Chapters.
Chairperson
Jason Cheung
Past Chairperson
Abhay Nene
Education (Ortho)
Jong-Beom Park
Education (Neuro)
Mitchell Hansen
Community development
Ajoy Shetty Prasad
Research
Kenny Kwan
Member at Large
Luo Zhuojing
Regional Manager
Joanne Leung
The AO Spine Latin American Board (AO SLA) is the operational body of AO Spine International focused on activities within Latin America. AO SLA is a body of surgeons, who have responsibility and accountability for delivering valued products and services to Latin American & Central American members. The AO SLA Board is elected by the members of the AO SLA Country Chapters.
Chairperson
Luiz Gustavo Dal Oglio da Rocha
Past Chairperson
Nestor Taboada
Education
Alberto Gotfryd
Community development
Fernando Nin Vilaro
Research
Alfredo Guiroy
Regional Manager
Antonio Machado
The AO Spine Middle East and Northern Africa Board (AO SMENA) is the operational body of AO Spine International focused on activities within the Middle East and Northern Africa. AO SMENA is a body of surgeons, who have responsibility and accountability for delivering valued products and services to Middle East and Northern African members. The AO SMENA Board is elected by the members of the AO SMENA Country Chapters.
Chairperson
Muzahem Taha
Chairperson-Elect
Sameh Abolfotouh
Education
Sameh Abolfotouh
Research
Rizwan Akram
Community development
Omar Alnori
Member at Large
Waleed Awwad
Regional Manager
Yosra Tekaya
The AO Spine North America Board (AO SNA) is the operational body of AO Spine International focused on activities within North America. AO SNA is a body of surgeons, who have responsibility and accountability for delivering valued products and services to North American members. The AO SNA Board is elected by the members of North America.
Chairperson
Daniel Sciubba
Past Chairperson
Eric O Klineberg
Education
W. Bradley Jacobs
Research
Jefferson Wilson
Community Development
Elizabeth Yu
Commissions
The mission of the AO Spine Community Development Commission is to enhance patient care by connecting spine surgeons and researchers globally.
It promotes and provide platform for knowledge exchange, professional networking, and career development through the AO Spine Membership Program, which grants access to the leading international spine care community.
The AOSCDC works with regional teams to align global strategies on member acquisition and retention, ensuring knowledge sharing and networking opportunities at local, regional, and international levels
Chairperson
Riccardo Cecchinato
Commission members
Omar Alnori
Ajoy Shetty Prasad
Marcel Ivanov
Fernando Nin Vilaro
Elizabeth Yu
Community Development Commission Manager
Barbora Field
The AO Spine Education Commission (AO SEC) is the education steering body of AO Spine International. Its role is to:
develop consistent and practical educational programs, strategies, and tools for implementation by the AO Spine Regions
leverage and share educational resources across the AO Spine Regions
plan and manage multi-regional educational events
The Commission consists of a Chairperson, who is an Executive Member of the AO Spine International Board, the past Chairperson, and an education representative (one per region) of each of the AO Spine Regional Boards.
Emeritus Chairperson:
Germán Ochoa
Chairperson
Manabu Ito
Past Chairperson
Richard Bransford
Commission member
Sameh Abolfotouh
Commission member
W. Bradley Jacobs
Commission member
Alberto Gotfryd
Commission member
Markus Loibl
Commission member
Mitchell Hansen
Responsible for global research initiatives, sharing expertise, and leveraging resources across regions. This body defines, integrates, and implements coherent research-related policies for the good of the whole organization.
Chairperson
Klaus Schnake
Chairperson-Elect
Ilya Laufer
North America Representative
Jefferson Wilson
Middle East Representative
Rizwan Akram
Asia Pacific Representative
Kenny Kwan
Europe Representative
Marcin Czyz
Latin America Representative
Alfredo Guiroy
Knowledge Forum Deformity Representative
Michael Kelly
Knowledge Forum Tumor Representative
Jeremy Reynolds
Knowledge Forum Degenerative Representative
Samuel Cho
Knowledge Forum Spinal Cord Injury Representative
Shekar Kurpad
Knowledge Forum Trauma and Infection Representative
Greg Schroeder
AO Research Institute Representative
Sibylle Grad
Chairperson
Richard Bransford
Commission member
Christian Mazel
Commission member
Firoz Miyanji
Commission member
Kevin Seex
Commission member
Maarten Spruit
Commission member
Chung Check Wong
Commission member
Jack Zigler
Commission member
Ahmed Aoude
Commission member
Moritz Deml