AO Access welcomes new task force members

Back row, L–R: Muhammad Asim Naqash (AO CMF MENA), Alejandra Giselle Juarez Rebollar (AO CMF LAT), Francisco Javier Gómez Torres (AO Recon LAT), Carla Smith (AO Trauma NA), Sumit Banerjee (AO Trauma AP)
Front row, L–R: Temiloluwa Olufemi (AO Trauma MENA; AO Recon ESA), Muhammad Arsalan Azmat Swati (AO Trauma MENA), Celeste Zamora (AO Spine LAT), Carlos Bagley (AO Spine NA)

AO Access in May 2025 welcomed nine new members to its task forces. These members, representing a true cross section of the AO and its global community, will be instrumental in refining and updating the AO Access one-, three-, and five-year strategies. By fostering personal and professional development, supporting career progression, and assembling diverse, cross-specialty teams through open calls, AO Access leads by example, embedding transparency and equal access into its structures to make the AO a more inclusive and attractive organization, which in turn supports the AO mission of promoting excellence in patient care.

As their first task, the newly recruited task force members will be involved in analyzing the 2025 iteration of the large-scale AO Access survey, which monitors organizational change. The initial 2019 survey’s findings include identification of barriers to faculty entry and advancement for women and other underrepresented groups in the AO. Insights from this subsequent survey will guide evidence-based strategies to foster a more inclusive environment.