Meet the Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Dr Finn Ghent

Hunter New England Local Health District

Dr Finn Ghent

I was born in New Zealand. I grew up and trained as a neurosurgeon in Australia. I have a clinical interest in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery, and completed formal fellowship training in those areas at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom. I now work as a consultant neurosurgeon at John Hunter, Newcastle Private and Lingard. Outside of work I spend my time with my family, and I like climbing mountains as often as I can.

Tracey McCosker PSM

Hunter New England Local Health District

Tracey McCosker PSM

Tracey McCosker is Chief Executive of Hunter New England LHD. She has worked in the NSW public health system for more than 30 years.

As the leader of one of NSW’s largest LHDs, Tracey guides the organisation to:

model respect and inclusion.

foster an innovative and cohesive workforce.

deliver high-quality patient-centred care.

She began her career as a Business Manager for Hunter Area Pathology Service. She moved on to senior roles in finance, corporate and clinical services in the district.

In 2012, she became the Chief Executive of NSW Health Pathology. Here, she led the establishment of an integrated state-wide public pathology service.

Tracey received the Australian Public Service Medal in 2018 for her outstanding service to public health in NSW.

She has a degree in Commerce from the University of Newcastle and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern Queensland. She is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Greg Page

Heart of the Nation

Greg Page

Greg Page, formally the much loved Yellow Wiggle in the internationally acclaimed children’s group The Wiggles, is on a mission to help save lives through the charitable initiative, Heart of the Nation.

From a young age, Greg had a passion for music. While studying Early Childhood Education at Sydney’s Macquarie University in 1991, Greg and fellow students Anthony Field and Murray Cook teamed up to form what was later to become, The Wiggles. Playing to sold out crowds all over the world and producing countless television series and specials over close to two decades, in 2006 Greg retired from The Wiggles due to a health condition known as Dysautonomia.

On retiring, Greg continued to work in children’s entertainment, creating almost 40 different TV show concepts and brands. With his Dysautonomia under control, in 2020 Greg took to the stage for a Wiggles reunion fundraising concert for bushfire relief. It was during this concert that Greg collapsed on stage and went into sudden cardiac arrest. Greg survived thanks to bystanders quickly locating an available AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and using it to perform CPR to stabilise his heart until ambulance officers arrived.

This near-death experience and second opportunity at life saw Greg determined to ensure that other people who suffer from cardiac arrest would also have the opportunity to survive and so Heart of the Nation was born. With his team, Greg campaigns tirelessly for more AEDs to be accessible within communities across Australia and through the Heart of the Nation app ensure people can quickly locate their nearest one.

Through his countless contributions to the community as a much loved childrens entertainer and champion of education and cardiac health, Greg has received numerous awards and accolades including the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).