As CEO, it’s her job to keep an eye on all aspects of the business. But as a mother, it’s her guilty pleasure to cuddle those newborn babies.

And lately, she literally has her hands full. Because both business and baby numbers are booming.

In fact, the birthing unit is heavily booked for the rest of the year, while Gold Coast University Hospital also reports yet another record-breaker with 5165 babies born in the 2017/18 financial year.

Trish says she’s perfectly positioned for this baby boom, both as the boss of the hospital and as one of the city’s leading executives.

“I think we’re on the cusp of a Gold Coast Renaissance,” says the former nurse, who now sits on a number of boards across the city, including the Titans NRL team.

“These baby numbers are proof that families feel confident in our future.

“It’s not just people coming here to start a new life but people who have put their roots down in our city, we’re seeing generations being born here now.

“The Gold Coast is the best place to be born, to be educated, to live, to work, to raise your family and retire. We’re not a city of transients anymore. We’re a city for life — and a city for the future.

INTERVIEW ONE: KENTON CAMPBELL

INTERVIEW TWO: TRAVERS ‘CANDYMAN’ BEYNON

INTERVIEW THREE: JOHN WILLIAMSON

INTERVIEW FOUR: PERRY CROSS

“And the best bonus of all is that I get to cuddle all of our new arrivals. It’s definitely a perk of the job.”

Trish grew up in southeast Queensland, spending her summers in the Gold Coast’s caravan parks from Main Beach to Tallebudgera with her grandparents.

While she spent much of her career working in the southern states, she looks the picture of a GC resident — blonde hair, bright eyes and colourful clothes. She’s nothing less than professional but has the added injection of personality that makes our city pop.

GET A NEW SET OF HEADPHONES WITH YOUR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

In fact, under her watch the hospital went viral — in a good way — after releasing a hilarious Christmas dance video featuring doctors and execs busting moves in operating theatres.

Sitting down with her, it’s obvious that her starring role in the YouTube hit was not just acting, but an extension of her energetic personality.

Trish is a people person, to the point that it takes a few minutes before I can ask her a question; she’s far more interested in where I came from … and where I got my shoes (answer: Kmart).

She’s also an over-achiever. While she began her career as a trainee nurse, she later earned a teaching degree and a Masters in Health Administration, living and working in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

Hoping for a “sea-change” to a job that would allow her to see more of her daughters, Trish moved the family from Adelaide to be general manager at the Tweed General Hospital in 2000.

It was an intentional backwards step. But while the job started off small, like she wanted it, a restructure and redevelopment saw her role expand quickly and she was soon responsible for all public hospitals from the New South Wales border to Bangalow.

She stayed eight years before taking the job at Pindara, where she is now in her tenth year.

Trish has lived in Southport throughout the almost two decades she has been here, sending her daughters to St Hilda’s — and developing a distinct distaste for Queensland’s refusal to adopt daylight savings time.

“I don’t see why we don’t have it. It’s ridiculous. The travel from Southport to NSW never bothered me, but the time change just did my head in. You lose so much of the day.

“It’s not good for anyone doing business, whether you physically cross the borders or not. It’s one of the things we have to change as we grow.”

While she insists she will never enter politics, that doesn’t mean that Trish is short of political opinions.

Along with engaging in the DST debate, she’s frustrated with the Gold Coast’s lack of beachfront dining options.

And don’t even get her started on Brisbane …

“I just can’t believe we don’t have even one State department here. We are a huge city and we deserve some governmental attention. You can’t tell me that public servants wouldn’t choose to live and work here over Brisbane?

“Living in Brisbane’s shadow is both our blessing and our curse. Yes, we get constantly overlooked and underfunded. But it’s all made us a city that has pulled itself up by its bootstraps. We built all this by ourselves, no handouts.

“That doesn’t mean we’ve done it all perfectly, of course. The thing that I just don’t understand is that with all of this amazing coastline — why do we only have one restaurant on the beach?

“There are surf clubs, obviously, but that’s a different market.

“Commercial restaurants on the beachfront just seem like a no-brainer to me. Why shouldn’t we be able to get a million-dollar view for the price of a cup of coffee?

“They should have made (diplomatic and business hub for the 2018 Games) Commonwealth House in Broadbeach a permanent dining fixture. It was magic — and nobody complained about it being there.

“It’s a far more equitable way to share and maximise our natural assets. Building mansions by the beach or giant high-rises makes the coastline exclusive, it should be for everyone.

“I really hope that when (State Development Minister) Cameron Dick releases his masterplan it will include somewhere for residents and tourists alike to at least enjoy a meal by the ocean.”

However, Trish says there is plenty that the Gold Coast is doing right.

From the transportation to culture to sport, she says other cities are now looking to our lead.

“I think when we built the light rail, that’s when we officially became a city, it just made us.

“I’m all for fixing the M1 as well but I think our priority should also be connecting Gold Coast Airport to the light rail, that will bring so many people.

“The other thing we are just nailing is cultural events. Every weekend there is some amazing concert or show that we are hosting. From the free events in Broadbeach to the line-up that HOTA is building to our signature events like Swell and Bleach. I mean, one of the shows from Bleach*, TIDE, just won a Helpmann Award (the Australian equivalent of a Tony Award).

“We should be shouting this from the rooftops. Take that, Sydney!

“Our restaurants are just incredible, too. Hellenika was just named as the best Greek restaurant in Australia by the New York Times. These are not small achievements. We should be so proud.

“Our sports teams, while maybe not winning the awards — or even all of the games, are growing and are in such a stable position.

“We’ve gone beyond that cycle of boom and bust with our NRL teams, the city is supporting us. We’ve got Jonathan Thurston’s final game being played here and that’s pretty much a sellout.

“Yes, we can get better but the important thing is that we have these teams for families to follow and support. It’s all part of building a strong fabric for the Gold Coast.”

As head of the all-female executive team behind Pindara, as well as one of three women on the Titans board — giving the club the equal-highest female representation, Trish says the city has a strong crew of female leaders.

However, she says these women are not token figureheads but in a position of power because, ironically, they are the best man for the job.

“I’d hate to get any position because of my gender. I want to get the job because I’m the best,” she says.

“I’ve been a judge for the Gold Coast Business Woman of the Year award since its inception and I am constantly blown away by the depth of talent we have here.

“There is a fantastic crew of women here who are in business and kicking goals.

“I just think it’s important that we stress equity rather than equality. A level playing field for both sexes is what we need and sometimes I fear the pendulum is swinging too far the other way.

“The rate of male suicide is alarming. By all means, give women a fair go — but we need to be sure not to do that at the expense of men.”

Trish well knows the importance of teamwork. As well as the juggle she and her husband shared while raising their daughters, now 24 and 29, she says there is a real team mentality between the public and private hospitals on the Gold Coast.

She says while private institutions deal with membership concerns, the health industry continues to grow.

GET A NEW SET OF HEADPHONES WITH YOUR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

“There is always attrition as people opt out of private care but I don’t think there are any concerns about lack of business here,” she says.

“All of the hospitals work together to look after our city and our growing population, there is no ‘us versus them’ mentality. In fact, we often lend them a piece of equipment they need, or vice versa. They need us and we need them.

“Really, it’s just fantastic to see the health industry here leading the way in so many areas.

“Our business is booming — and that’s because the Gold Coast is too.”

It’s music to any mother’s ears.

After all, the brighter the future in our fair city, the better the chance our babies will choose to stay close to home.