Welcoming Joel Baurycza to the Navigator Group team

We're delighted to welcome Joel Baurycza to Navigator Group as our new Senior Account Manager. We caught up with Joel to find out a little more about him and his career to date — here's what he had to say.

What's your background, and what led you to account management in the rehab/return-to-work industry?

I have a background in Clinical Exercise Physiology, graduating from University of Wollongong in 2016. I found my way into the Workers Compensation Scheme via rehab consultant roles, primarily with job detached portfolios which helped my understanding of motivational conversations and behavioral change. From there I found my way to EML initially as an injury management specialist, then a team leader. As a team leader I have worked in multiple segments with responsibilities of a variety of small to corporate employers in front and tail end portfolios. Throughout my career my exercise physiology skills have helped with driving return to work strategies and building long term relationships with key clients.

What do you enjoy most about working directly with clients and partners?

I enjoy figuring out what good looks like to someone. This can be different for every stakeholder and identifying early expectations drives my involvement towards a successful long term relationship.

How would you describe your approach to building trust with the people you support?

It is important to demonstrate that you deliver on your promises. I look forward to building a communication routine with my clients based on regular updates, training and support that demonstrates outcomes for injured workers and benefits to the claims management process.

What's a moment in your career you're particularly proud of?

As a team leader at EML my most valued customers were the case managers in my team. In 2025 I joined a team going through significant change, client risk and a negative NPS. I was very quickly about to engage with people 1:1, set new goals and expectations and was able to increase our teams NPS with no detractors within a quarter. I was so proud that the time spent connecting with people and having challenging conversations resulted in both a performance uplift and better employment satisfaction with feedback being really positive about how I handled the change.

What are you most looking forward to in this new role at Navigator Group?

I am really excited to be back within the treatment provider space. I love the services that Navigator Group offers and have always been a big advocator for them since being an injury management specialist and a team leader that was involved in many pilot programs with Navigator in the past. Seeing injured workers recover and return to work while helping case managers look after complex claims will combine everything I have enjoyed so far in my career.

A fun fact or hobby you'd want colleagues to know about you?

I really love bushwalking and camping. A few hiking highlights over the past few years have been going to Everest Base Camp, summiting Australia's 10 highest mountains and completing the Great North Walk.