After opening a second office in Rockingham in 2023, KINNECT’s presence in Western Australia (WA) continues to grow under the expert guidance of our new State Manager, Damien Amsuss. He joined us in March 2023, and now having settled into the role, Damien talks about what he’s most excited to work on at KINNECT, the opportunities on the horizon in WA and what makes his team so special.

What’s your career background?

I qualified as an Exercise Physiologist and worked as a clinician for five years before moving into management about 15 years ago for Guardian Exercise Rehabilitation – a national provider of Workplace Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology services. I became CEO there.

My journey into management also saw me complete my MBA in January 2023 – a qualification which I (perhaps stupidly) began while my child was only 6 months old!

I then took a short break before starting at KINNECT in March this year.

What’s got you most excited about working at KINNECT?

It’s hard to pick just one.

“Firstly, the people are amazing. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. Secondly, it’s the culture. That’s more than the people, it’s KINNECT’s overt effort to create a strong and engaging culture. And finally, I do think that we truly are innovative in the way we go about things, particularly with our own technology to create value for our clients.”

What’s on the horizon for Perth and Rockingham?

There’s a lot of opportunity for growing our work in workplace rehabilitation in WA. We’ve got a great team and there’s lots of space to expand, particularly through the WorkCover WA scheme. I’m excited about driving that and bringing on more consultants who have experience in workplace rehabilitation and the scheme.

Currently, we’re looking to bring on board a Lead Workplace Rehab Consultant, which is a fantastic opportunity for a consultant who’s looking for a fresh challenge. Given KINNECT’s growth trajectory, I foresee even more opportunities emerging soon. Stay tuned!

The pre-employment assessments space is also interesting – we’re already working with some amazing partners like Fortescue, Altrad and UGL. The recent developments in our Carelever system, in particular the matrix design that we’re using to customise our service offering, will allow us to help bigger organisations.

What do you love most about working in the occupational health and workplace rehabilitation sector?

Helping others experience a sense of purpose in their lives through work. I have first-hand experience around appreciating the joys of being in meaningful work. I was lucky enough to work for a couple of great organisations but then I took some time out from work to study. Even though I had lots of great stuff happening like being with my kids a little bit more, improving my guitar and golfing skills, and helping my wife to start her business, I really did miss work and that sense of purpose.

I was chomping at the bit to get started with KINNECT when I had the offer, so I truly believe in the importance of helping individuals to experience meaningful work on multiple fronts, whether that be with workplace rehabilitation to help them to return to work, or with our occupational health services to make sure that we’re helping organisations find the right person for the job.

It’s [Workplace Rehabilitation] underappreciated, too. When I trained as an exercise physiologist, everyone either wanted to be the sports trainer or sports medic at a professional sporting organisation or be a physical education teacher. It wasn’t glamorous at all to say: “I’ll get out there in the big wide world and help people get back to work,” but everyone needs to work, right?

There’s something incredibly fulfilling about knowing that your efforts have directly contributed to someone’s ability to regain their independence and livelihood. It’s a reminder of the impact we can have on others’ lives and the positive change we can make.

Why would people love working in your team?

Every morning, we come in smiling and everyone loves to come together in a meeting room or a lunchroom to have a casual chat. But it’s also very supportive: if anyone ever needs help, you can guarantee that there be at least a few people who will say “I can do that for you.” Also, there’s just so much passion and pride in the work that our team deliver, the way they take care of our candidates and their workers.

If you’d like to join Damien’s enthusiastic, happy and highly skilled team, take a look at the opportunities on our careers site.