Carlos Ayres, DC
PRESIDENT
Dr Ayres is the first Latin American representative to hold the office of WFC President in its 33-year history.

Dr Ayres has served on the Board of the WFC since 2011. He represents the Latin American region and has previously held the Executive offices of Secretary-Treasurer, Second Vice-President and First Vice-President.

Born in Lima, Peru, Carlos graduated from New York Chiropractic College in 1981 and maintained a private practice in Long Island, New York for 20 years. During that time, he served as an expert witness and Independent Medical Examiner for several insurance companies with an expertise in Workers’ Compensation and No-Fault Automobile accidents.

In 2002 he moved back to his native Peru where he established a private practice. With a view to expanding chiropractic care throughout Peru, Carlos now manages several chiropractic offices in the northern and southern part of the country as well as in Peru’s capital city, Lima.

Carlos has served as President of the Peruvian Association of Chiropractors since 2006. He has also served as President of the Latin American Federation of Chiropractic (FLAQ) between 2007 and 2012. He presently holds the position of International Adviser for FLAQ.

Carlos’s vision is to help chiropractic to thrive in all Latin American countries and support in the development of quality, accredited chiropractic educational programs in the region.

Michele Maiers, DC, MPH, PhD
VICE-PRESIDENT
Michele is the Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In her role, Michele leverages high quality research to inform healthcare policy and innovation initiatives on local, regional and national levels. Her own clinical research focuses on the use of spinal manipulation and exercise interventions for older adults with spine related pain and disability. Michele’s research utilizes mixed methods to inform a deep, rich understanding of spine related pain and optimal care. Her ability to distill current evidence into information that directly informs contemporary healthcare policy and clinical practice make her a thought leader within the chiropractic and integrative healthcare professions.

Michele is a principal in Minnesota Fair Care, a consortium of patient advocacy and provider groups advocating improved access to evidence-based non-pharmacological treatments for pain. She holds several leadership positions within professional associations, including service on the Board of Governors of the American Chiropractic Association, the Executive Council of the World Federation of Chiropractic, and the Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium. Michele enjoys running, baking pies, and digging holes in her yard with two young sons.

Kei Takeyachi, DC
SECRETARY-TREASURER
Dr Takeyachi is a 2002 graduate of RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia and is a third generation chiropractor whose family has seven chiropractors. He maintains a private practice in Tokyo that was first established by his grandfather in 1949. After graduating from RMIT University, Kei returned to Japan in 2003 and joined the faculty at the Tokyo College of Chiropractic, formerly known as RMIT University Chiropractic Unit – Japan. Kei currently serves as President of the Japanese Association of Chiropractors (JAC). Other positions include Asia Pacific Representative to the Advisory Board of the International Board of Chiropractic Examiners (IBCE) and former Vice President, Asian Pacific Chiropractic Doctors Federation (APCDF). Kei has an interest in drawing.

Vivian Kil, DC, M.Chiro
IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT

Vivian Kil represents the European region on the Board of the WFC. She served as Interim President from May 2019 and became the youngest elected WFC President in May 2020 and its first female leader. She is a former president of the Netherlands Chiropractic Association and has served as vice-president of the European Chiropractors’ Union. She qualified from AECC University College and runs her own interdisciplinary clinic in the town of Beek in the Netherlands.

Richard Brown, DC, LLM, FEAC, FRCC
SECRETARY-GENERAL