Anne Holland

As founder of Defib First, Anne Holland is a passionate speaker, educator and author about all things health and lifestyle. She has also founded the not for profit organisation Urban Lifesavers and been nominated for the 2016 Telstra Business Women’s Awards.

After losing her husband Paul to cardiac arrest, Anne has become a passionate advocate for defibrillators, especially educating the public and removing the fear associated with using them.

Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death and is one of the only causes where the victim’s survival depends on the actions of those around them.

Anne is a registered nurse and holds over twenty years of critical care nursing experience. She has worked in a range of roles within the health and medical field including in triage for Nurse-On-Call, as an interventional medical imaging nurse, a program practitioner for a cerebellar developmental delay remediation program and within the Department of Defence providing medical assessments. She is also an accredited First Aid trainer, immuniser and former lecturer at TAFE. 

In 2015, Anne released her book -Back in a Heart Beat’, which covers the myths about sudden cardiac arrest, explains how bystanders can assist by using automated external defibrillators (AEDs), explains the changes in First Aid training regulations with the use of AEDs, explores the implications for workplaces and communities if AEDs are not accessible and presents a persuasive argument for AEDs to become mandatory in all workplaces. A compelling and educational book, Anne shares her expansive knowledge and personal experience with readers.

An accomplished and professional speaker, Anne Holland aims to educate everyone about the importance of AEDs and how essential fast action is when someone is in need.