Meet the elected officers of the AO Trauma Latin America Board
Following the elections held in November 2024 and April 2025, the AO Trauma Latin America Board is pleased to announce its new board members, who will assume the positions of Chairperson and Research Officer.
The applications were reviewed by the Nomination Committee, composed of Jorge Barla, Paulo Barbosa, and Rodrigo Pesantez. The entire election process was ratified by the committee and conducted in accordance with the criteria and requirements outlined in the AO Trauma Terms of Reference and approved by the AO Trauma International Board.
The officer and their vision:
Vincenzo Giordano, from Brazil, was elected as the next Chairperson of the AO Trauma Latin America Board. His one-year term as Chair-Elect began in July 2025, and his official term as Chairperson will run from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2029.
Vincenzo Giordano is currently a Consultant and Professor at Hospital Municipal Miguel Couto in Rio de Janeiro. Dr. Giordano previously served as Research Officer for the AO Trauma Latin America Board from 2020 to 2023 and was re-elected for another term in 2023. His longstanding involvement with AO reflects his deep commitment to education and research.
From 2014 to 2020, he was a member of the AO Trauma Brazil Council, and he has actively contributed to several key working groups. These include his roles as a past member of the International Periprosthetic Fractures Expert Group (2018–2023), the AO Infection Working Group (2014–2017), and the AO Residents Taskforce (2019).
In addition to his leadership and advisory roles, Dr. Giordano is a highly experienced International Faculty and Chairperson. He has completed the Faculty Education Program (FEP), Chairperson Education Program (CEP), and Leadership Education Program (LEP). Furthermore, he currently serves as Deputy Editor for the journals Injury and EJOST, reinforcing his commitment to academic excellence and scientific advancement.
“My biggest motivation is to keep the region strong on the AO Trauma global stage. As we have been doing in the Research over the past few years, the strategy is to include AO Trauma members from different countries and different generations, so that together they can serve as ambassadors for the Foundation in their areas of operation, develop ideas and multi-center projects, and have room to grow within the regional and global scenario.”
Vincenzo Giordano, Brazil
Carlos Oliver Valderrama, from Colombia, was elected as the Research Officer of the AO Trauma Latin America Board. His three-year term began on July 1, 2025.
Dr. Valderrama is an orthopaedic surgeon at Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe in Medellín, Colombia. He served as the Research Officer for AO Trauma Colombia from 2022 to 2025, playing a key role in advancing trauma research across the region. Throughout his career, he has been actively involved in AO activities at multiple levels—international, regional, and national—taking on faculty roles and serving as both chairperson and co-chairperson at numerous events.
He participated as faculty at the AO Davos Courses in 2021 (online), 2022, and 2023, demonstrating his commitment to education and professional development. Since 2021, Dr. Valderrama has been a member of the Latin America Research Support Group (Grupo de Apoyo a la Investigación – GAI), further contributing to collaborative research efforts.
In addition to his academic and leadership roles, he completed the Faculty Education Program (FEP) and Chairperson Education Program (CEP), which strengthened his expertise in educational leadership within AO Trauma.
His editorial contributions are equally notable. In 2023, he served as Guest Editor for the AO Trauma Latin America Injury Supplement. He was an Associate Editor of the Revista Colombiana de Ortopedia y Traumatología (2022–2024) and has been a member of the journal’s Scientific Committee since 2024, reflecting his dedication to advancing scientific quality and dissemination in orthopaedics and trauma.
“I am drawn to this leadership opportunity because I share and deeply admire the values embodied by my predecessor—union, passion, and sustained effort in research. These values are essential to building and maintaining a strong, inclusive research culture in Latin America, where immense potential exists but remains underutilized due to structural and resource limitations. I aim to build on this legacy by supporting emerging researchers, promoting regional collaborations, and expanding access to training and mentorship opportunities across countries.”
Carlos Valderrama, Colombia
Please join us in congratulating the election winners!