From Consultant to Clinic Founder: How Building Wollongong Shaped Catherine Smith’s Leadership

When Catherine Smith talks about opening KINNECT’s Wollongong clinic, the excitement in her voice is unmistakable. 

“It went from being an idea in a meeting,” she says, “to standing there on day one with our nurse Matt welcoming our first candidates. That was pretty special.” 

For Catherine, a Team Manager in NSW, setting up the Wollongong clinic wasn’t just a milestone project. It was a defining leadership experience, one that sharpened her commercial thinking, strengthened her planning and collaboration skills, and deepened her passion for helping others grow. 

 

A Career Built on Challenge and Growth 

Catherine’s path into occupational health began with a Bachelor of Exercise Physiology from the University of NSW, graduating in 2017. She moved straight into workplace rehabilitation, drawn to the variety and the human impact. 

“I really loved the variety of that role,” she explains. “I was involved in both same employer and new employer return to work cases. I loved getting out, travelling to different areas, seeing different people and different jobs you’d never heard of before.” 

During this time, she also took on a clinical role, which provided her with experience in delivering treatment as an exercise physiologist, mainly for workers’ compensation clients with some chronic disease management. 

She then transitioned into a role with an occupational health provider that involved pre-employment medicals and corporate health coaching, aligning with her passion for injury prevention.  

While she enjoyed clinical work and corporate health coaching, she found herself wanting more complexity and more challenge. 

“I like the challenge of working with someone who’s trying to overcome barriers that come with being injured and trying to achieve their goal. I wanted something more aligned to return to work.” 

That search led her to KINNECT in March 2021. 

“What I loved about KINNECT was that it was a combination of a lot of my passions, workplace rehabilitation, pre-employment and injury prevention. After my interview, taking the role was a no-brainer.” 

Within 12 months, she progressed from Senior Consultant to Team Manager, supported by KINNECT’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) and a clear development pathway. 

“KINNECT is very invested in everyone’s professional development, so I was given real opportunities to develop coaching and mentorship skills before I eventually transitioned into a team management role. 

“It wasn’t just talk,” she says. “There was a plan in place for my career.” 

 

A Goal Bigger Than Herself 

From the beginning, Catherine thought beyond her own role. 

“I’ve always been very focused on the growth of KINNECT,” she says. “When I started, I had a goal to have some fellow team managers in NSW because initially, I was the only one. Now we’ve got seven.” 

So, when conversations began about expanding into Wollongong, Catherine was ready. 

“During one of our monthly meetings, we were talking about a clinic in Wollongong,” she recalls. “Gerald asked if I’d be interested in helping set it up. I was honoured to be asked.” 

She had managed clinics before, but never built one from the ground up. 

“I was very excited and nervous for the challenge,” she says. “There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that you don’t even think about unless you’re part of that process.” 

 

Turning an Idea into a Working Clinic

The first step? Location. 

“I provided feedback in terms of what would work for the services we provide and what our clients need,” she says. “When we signed the lease and set an opening date, that’s when it felt real, it was no longer an abstract concept.” 

Then came the checklist. “We met with our Business Services Lead about the clinic setup checklist,” Catherine explains. “That’s when I really understood how much collaboration goes into it with admin, finance, and medical support just to get the different services and equipment ready.” 

The learning curve was steep.“One thing I learned was that some equipment takes months to arrive. It’s not like you can order something and get it two days later,” she says. “Even getting the internet set up is crucial. It doesn’t happen overnight.” 

At first, it felt daunting. 

“Breaking the process down and prioritising what was time-sensitive made it more digestible,” she says. “Having those meetings with other departments made it easier to work through.” 

The experience expanded her perspective beyond clinical delivery into operations, logistics, and commercial planning, skills every strong leader needs. 

 

Rolling Up Her Sleeves 

In the days leading up to opening, Catherine swapped strategy meetings for hands-on setup. 

“I loved getting amongst it,” she laughs. “I had an electric drill, which I’d never used before, to put together some of the tables.” 

Working alongside KINNECT’s Facilities Manager and medical team, she watched the space transform. 

“I saw it before the fit-out, during and after. To see it come to life was amazing.” 

Before day one, she and the team tested every piece of equipment. 

“We did mock assessments with each other to make sure everything would run smoothly,” she says. Then the doors opened. 

“For the first couple of days, it was just Matt, our nurse, and me doing appointments together. 

“It was really rewarding to see it go from an idea to a working office.” 

For Catherine, that moment reinforced something powerful: leadership isn’t just about oversight. It’s about making a vision a reality. 

 

From Setup to Succession 

Opening the clinic was only the beginning. Recruitment and leadership transition came next. 

Catherine played a key role in recruiting a new nurse and workplace rehabilitation consultant and supporting Wollongong’s new Team Manager, Nina. 

“It’s been so nice to lead that initial phase and then watch it flourish on its own,” she reflects.  

“Being part of the recruitment and coaching of new staff members has been incredibly rewarding.” 

That full-circle moment, from concept to an independent, thriving clinic, cemented her growth as a leader. 

 

A Culture That Prioritises Quality 

Catherine has worked in other occupational health organisations, but what stands out at KINNECT? 

“Firstly, from day one, the values and culture really shine through,” she says. “You can ask questions to anyone. Everyone has time for you, even people in completely different divisions.” 

“Secondly, we’re so invested in the quality of our work,” she says. “We prefer quality over quantity.” 

She points to manageable caseloads in workplace rehabilitation as one example. 

“We purposely keep the number of files low, so consultants have time to think strategically and tailor their support,” she explains. “In other organisations, it can feel like a numbers game.” 

For clients including HR Managers, Health & Safety Leaders, and national employers managing complex workforces, that difference matters. 

“We take the time to meet with employers and claim service providers and go through what we’re doing well and what else they need,” she says. “It’s about doing that little bit extra.” 

 

Fulfilling Her Purpose 

Back in Sydney, Catherine continues to mentor her team and support growth across NSW. 

“One of the things I love most is coaching and mentoring,” she says. “It’s been really nice to see people in my team progress into Team Manager roles and then watch their teams grow as well.”  

“Going into a management role can be a tricky transition, especially if you’re moving from being a colleague to a manager. It changes the dynamic.” 

“I’m really passionate about helping make that transition as smooth as possible for people.” 

Leadership isn’t always easy, though. 

“It’s tricky,” she admits. “You have challenging conversations. There are coaching difficulties that come up.” 

But she wouldn’t trade it. 

“It’s great to wake up every day and be pumped to get into whatever the day throws at you because no two days are the same.” 

Looking ahead, Catherine is excited by the prospect of continued expansion. 

“I’m big on growth and expanding our footprint so we can help more people,” she says. “There will likely be more clinics in NSW, and I’d love to be part of that.” 

And personally? Catherine says,  “I am really keen to continue developing my coaching and mentoring skills.” 

 

Building More Than Clinics 

The Wollongong clinic stands as a tangible result of strategic growth. But for Catherine, it represents something deeper, a learning curve that has taught her the value of trust and teamwork.  

And it represents leadership in action, not from behind a desk, but with sleeves rolled up and drill in hand. 

By turning a blank space into a thriving occupational health clinic, Catherine expanded both KINNECT’s footprint and her own leadership capabilities. 

And as KINNECT continues to create health certainty for organisations across Australia, leaders like Catherine ensure that growth is thoughtful, collaborative and built to last. 

 

Start a career like Catherine’s with KINNECT by visiting our careers site.

 *Looking to partner with a provider who takes quality seriously and supports your workforce from hire to retire? Explore our services or get in touch with our team to start the conversation.*