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Meet our board and leadership team

Philip Thomas

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Philip Thomas

Board Chair

M. ComLaw, B.Bus.,Grad. Dip. CSP.,ASA, FCSA, FCIS, F.Fin, MAICD

Appointed: June 2016

Philip is the Managing Director of Oakland Group, providing professional compliance, governance and advisory services to a variety of companies from ASX listed entities to the no-for-profit-sector. He is a frequent guest speaker on corporate practices and is currently the Australian advisor to two international entities on Australian Compliance and Governance requirements. Over the past 25 years, Philip has developed a keen interest in the expansion of strategic corporate growth through boardroom development and action.

Professor David Finkelstein

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Professor David Finkelstein

Chair Research Committee

B.Sc., Grad. Dip. Scientific Instrumentation, M. Sc., Ph.D

Appointed: May 2014

Physiologist and neurobiologist David Finklestein is the head of the Parkinson’s Disease Laboratory at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. In this role, he uses his skills and knowledge to investigate possible new medical interventions for Parkinson’s. He has led many research projects, authored over 300 research papers in peer-reviewed journals and presented his innovative work to medical researchers all over the world. David is committed to raising awareness of Parkinson’s research within the broader community and increasing the profile of Parkinson’s research in Australia. He assists Fight Parkinson’s to advocate for more funding from government grants for Parkinson’s research and support for Parkinson’s services.

Jason Karametos

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Jason Karametos

Chair Finance and Investment Committee

B Com/LLB (Hons),  LLM

Appointed: April 2018

Jason is a PwC Partner leading the national corporate tax team and has over 24 years’ experience advising Australian and multinational public companies on broad corporate tax and international tax issues.  Having worked in professional services firms in Australia and abroad, Jason has developed strong international networks and expertise in navigating complex global regulations and risk. Jason’s late father had Parkinson’s and through his work with the Board he aims to raise awareness of Parkinson’s within the broader community and be an advocate for increase funding for community services and research. Jason is also an Australian Lawyer of the Supreme Court of Victoria and is currently also a board member and chair of finance for an Independent School in Melbourne.

Professor Jennifer McGinley

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Professor Jennifer McGinley

Member Research Committee

B.App.Sci (Physiotherapy) | Grad Dip (Neurosciences) PhD G.A.I.C.D

Appointed: February 2021

Jennifer McGinley is a Professor of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne. She has worked in clinical practice with people with Parkinson’s Disease and led research programs to better understand how Parkinson’s affects walking and mobility, how to improve walking and prevent falls, and how to support people to stay physically active and live well.  Jennifer is passionate about increasing access of all people living with Parkinson’s to high quality multidisciplinary healthcare services and increasing funding support for research in Parkinson’s.

Sheenagh Bottrell

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Sheenagh Bottrell

Chair of Consumer Engagement and Advisory Committee 

Registered Nurse

Appointed: 17 August 2023

Sheenagh was a Registered Nurse for 39 years, training in London and emigrating to Australia in 1987 and has worked in numerous healthcare settings around the country, including public and private hospitals, as well as general practice surgeries. She now works part time as a carer.  Since being diagnosed with young/early onset Parkinson’s in 2011, Sheenagh has focussed on raising awareness and advocating for people with Parkinson’s, especially young onset.

Peter Wylie

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Peter Wylie


Member of Consumer Engagement and Advisory Committee

Certificate of Accounting; Bachelor of Business Studies (Swinburne): CPA

Appointed: 17 August 2023

Peter began his career in 1969 with the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) after completing his studies at Dandenong High School. Early in his career, he earned a Certificate of Accounting, followed by a Bachelor of Business Studies from Swinburne University. He subsequently achieved CPA status, which he maintained until retirement. Following the restructuring of MMBW, Peter continued with Melbourne Water, where he managed key projects including the implementation of the Technology One – Finance One system and the introduction of GST processes across the organisation. These projects involved significant system upgrades and staff education. Peter retired in 2008 and remains active in the community through his roles on the Fight Parkinson’s Board and Committees.

Fight Parkinson’s Management Team

Emma Collin

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Emma Collin

Chief Executive Officer

Emma Collin is the Chief Executive Officer of Fight Parkinson’s, which she joined in 2013. Through her leadership, the organisation has become a lifeline of support for thousands of people living with Parkinson’s and their families, delivering tailored professional advice and education to more than 12,000 people each year. Its trusted information resources now reach over 180,000 unique visitors annually, extending Fight Parkinson’s impact well beyond Victoria to communities across Australia.

Emma established Australia’s first multidisciplinary health team within a Parkinson’s organisation and has led its growth to ensure that people living with Parkinson’s and their families have free access to best-practice, evidence-based care. Guided by her commitment to person-centred approaches, Emma ensures services are designed around the lived experiences and voices of people with Parkinson’s. Recognising that many people already receiving Parkinson’s support are later re-diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) or other atypical parkinsonian conditions, Emma ensured that these communities were formally brought into the Parkinson’s community in alignment with Fight Parkinson’s expertise. By doing so, she has guaranteed that people living with PSP, Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS), and other atypical parkinsonism remain supported, included, and connected to services designed around their complex needs. She has further overseen the growth of a strong professional Community of Practice to build health professional capability in Parkinson’s care.

Nationally, Emma is a Director of the National Parkinson’s Alliance (established in 2024) and a founding member of the preceding National Parkinson’s Action Plan Taskforce. In these roles, she has been instrumental in driving both state and national reform, strengthening services, policy, and systemic change for people living with Parkinson’s and parkinsonism. Internationally, Emma served on the World Parkinson’s Congress (WPC) Leadership Forum Executive Committee from 2016 to 2023 and was appointed Co-Chair from 2019 to 2023. In these roles, she helped shape global collaboration and knowledge exchange, including leadership through the WPC Virtual Congress in 2021 and the WPC Barcelona Congress in 2023.

She is widely recognised for her ability to bring together community, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to ensure that the voices of people living with Parkinson’s and parkinsonism remain at the centre of reform, care, and research agendas.

Charlotte Hutchins

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Charlotte Hutchins

Chief Operating Officer

With more than 20 years’ experience working with not-for-profit organisations, Charlotte specialises in building community engagement strategists, project management, fostering partnerships and communications. She has worked in tourism, the arts, professional associations and community welfare. She has been responsible for leading the marketing and fundraising for Wesley Mission Victoria, Life’s Little Treasures, Heide Museum of Modern Art, and the Royal Academy of Dance in London. She is a driven professional with a Masters in Marketing who is motivated by building the capacity of the community.

Victor McConvey OAM RN MACN

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Victor McConvey OAM RN MACN


Parkinson’s Clinical Nurse Consultant – Director of Health Services

Victor has been a nurse for 25 years and has worked in the area of neurology for the past 18 years. He has worked in clinical management and service development positions in both Australia and the UK, including establishing the Parkinson’s Nurse Specialist position in Leeds, UK. In his role at Fight Parkinson’s, Victor leads the health team, providing direction to the development and roll out of our information, peer support education programs. Victor is currently involved in a range of projects including developing the role and profile of the Parkinson’s Nurse Specialist in Australia and participating in the working party reviewing clinical and consumer information generated by Fight Parkinson’s. He has written journal articles, presented at international conferences and received a number of awards and fellowship related to his work with the Parkinson’s community.

Sharon Roux

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Sharon Roux


Director of Fundraising

Sharon is an accomplished fundraising and donor relations leader with a career spanning the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. She has led all forms of fundraising, from major gifts and bequests to appeals and fundraising events and CRM implementation for bespoke fundraising initiatives. Sharon has a track record of achieving ambitious donor revenue growth and engagement through leadership, innovation, and authenticity in relationship management.

Sharon is currently the Director of Fight Parkinson’s, leading all the fundraising programs that allow the rest of the team to serve the Parkinson’s community. Previously, she was the Head of Donor Relations at Monash University, and has experience in non-profits, higher education fundraising and schools-based fundraising and development and has presented at international conferences. Sharon has been part of multi award-winning fundraising campaigns including Monash’s Change it for Future Generations, which raised $1 billion in 13 years, and the University of Auckland’s campaign For All Our Futures, raising $400 million in seven years. Alongside credentials in fundraising, she is an accredited public relations professional.

Rachel Mouer

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Rachel Mouer

Health Services Team Leader

Rachel is a physiotherapist who joined the Fight Parkinson’s team in December 2021 before accepting the Health Services Team Leader position in 2025. Prior to this she had gained over a decade of clinical experience in Victorian public health with a focus on neurological and rehabilitation populations.

Rachel has always held an interest in Movement Disorders and has focused on developing her knowledge and experience in this space both through her professional roles and through further study, holding a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Rehabilitation from the University of Melbourne.  In her role with Fight Parkinson’s, Rachel supports the delivery of the health information service, Fight Parkinson’s peer support network and education programs and is dedicated to improving outcomes for the Parkinson’s and Atypical Parkinson’s community.

Katie Howland

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Katie Howland

Marketing Manager

Katie joined the Fight Parkinson’s team in 2024, bringing a strong background in strategic marketing within the human services and not-for-profit sector. She holds a Bachelor of Honours in Marketing and has six years of experience delivering impactful, community-focused marketing campaigns.

With a passion for strategic thinking and creative problem-solving, Katie has led national initiatives that build brand awareness, drive engagement, and deliver meaningful outcomes for communities. As Marketing Manager, she is dedicated to using insight-driven strategies to enhance connection, increase visibility, and ensure people living with Parkinson’s and Atypical Parkinson’s across Australia are aware of and able to benefit from the vital services and support Fight Parkinson’s provides.

Please note: Fight Parkinson’s uses the phrase Parkinson’s rather than Parkinson’s Disease to reflect the community’s preference. Parkinson’s Disease is used only when necessary such as in medical, research or government contents, or in direct quotes.