ILDS announces new President-Elect Professor Emeritus Jorge Ocampo Candiani MD PhD

I am a dermatologist from Monterrey, Mexico. I trained at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León and continued my education in dermatologic surgery in Barcelona, Birmingham, and Paris, as well as completing a Master’s in Health Administration and a PhD at the University of Valencia. For 23 years, I led the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital in Monterrey. I recently stepped down, but continue teaching students and residents as Professor Emeritus. For over four decades, my journey has combined patient care, education, and international collaboration - three passions that continue to inspire me every day.

I am most proud of the people I have helped to train and seeing former residents become outstanding dermatologists, teachers, and leaders. On a personal level, I am deeply proud that my two children, Jorge Alejandro and Sonia Sofía, are passionate dermatologists, recognised nationally and internationally in their fields. I am also proud of helping build bridges between Latin American and global dermatology. I have learned that success is not only what we achieve personally, but what we help others achieve. Seeing that legacy continue through my children, students, and colleagues is deeply meaningful to me.

For me, the ILDS is the home of global dermatology. Its greatest strength is its diversity: bringing together societies from different countries, cultures, resources, and healthcare systems around one common purpose - improving skin health for everyone. I have seen how powerful this network can be when we listen to each other and work together. The ILDS connects people, gives a voice to societies large and small, shares knowledge across borders, and represents dermatology in global health. Most importantly, it reminds us that wherever we practice, we are part of one global dermatology community.

Our greatest opportunity is to make the ILDS even more global, inclusive, and connected. We should reach countries and dermatological communities that remain underrepresented and translate the growing global recognition of skin diseases into practical action: education, prevention, training, and better access to care. Our challenges include inequalities in dermatological care, limited resources, rapid technological change, and sustainable funding. These challenges are significant, but they also create opportunities for collaboration. No country or society can solve them alone. By working together, the ILDS can help turn global commitments into meaningful improvements for patients.

My goal would be simple: to leave the ILDS stronger, more inclusive, and closer to its Members. I would like to expand our presence in more countries, ensure every region has a meaningful voice, strengthen education and healthcare-worker training, and improve access to dermatological care, especially for underserved populations, women, and children. I would also seek new partnerships and sustainable sources of funding. Above all, I want every Member Society, large or small, to feel that the ILDS belongs to them. One ILDS. Every voice matters.

My leadership style is based on listening, inclusion, teamwork, and action. I enjoy bringing people together and believe a good leader should listen before making decisions and surround themselves with talented people who bring different experiences and perspectives. I am also practical: good ideas become meaningful when we transform them into action. I would bring experience from patient care, education, academic dermatology, and international organisations, together with enthusiasm, energy, and a genuine desire to work with people. Leadership, for me, is not about one person; it is about helping many people contribute and succeed.

I want communication between the ILDS and its Members to become closer, more personal, and more direct. We should listen regularly to their needs, understand their challenges, learn from their successes, and ask a simple question: How can the ILDS help? I would create more opportunities for dialogue with societies from every region, particularly smaller and emerging communities, and meet colleagues personally whenever possible. Technology connects us instantly, but personal relationships build trust. My message to every Member Society would be simple: This is your ILDS. Your voice matters, and we want you to be part of its future.

What I would look forward to most is bringing people together. International dermatology has taught me how much we can learn from one another and that every country and society has something to contribute. I would especially value reaching communities that have traditionally had less participation in international dermatology. At the end of my term, I hope to see a stronger global family: more countries involved, more young dermatologists participating, greater collaboration between regions, and better opportunities for patients. If we can achieve that together, it would be one of the greatest privileges of my professional life.