Meet the Team
The It Pays to Care team is small but mighty - containing a diverse range of expertise and experience!
Our subject matter experts, engagement specialists, and experienced operational support combine to produce effective advocacy and offer a range of services to our collaborators and partners.
Advocacy and Engagement
Dr Mary Wyatt
Policy and Advocacy Lead
Mary is an occupational physician with more than 30 years’ experience in clinical practice, research, medical education and policy, including leading development of the original Health Benefits of Good Work statement through AFOEM and now It Pays to Care. Through her leadership with IPTC she works with schemes, employers and clinicians to translate evidence into practical reforms that reduce harm and improve return to work outcomes.
Rhea Mercado
Creative Engagement Lead
Rhea is the founder of The Intelligent Rebellion and Threesticks Training & Development, with over twenty years’ experience across clinical practice, workplace rehabilitation, and injury management. As Creative Engagement Lead at It Pays to Care, she translates policy into practice through practical, people-centred strategies that support fair and sustainable return-to-work outcomes.
A skilled facilitator and presenter, Rhea creates inclusive, collaborative environments where professionals can reflect, co-design solutions, and challenge traditional approaches to build fair and efficient systems together.
Rachael Ford
Stakeholder Advisor – Insurer & Employer
Rachael is the Manager Policy and Regulation Workers’ Compensation at Suncorp. She brings over 25 years’ experience in personal injury, HR, and customer service.
A passionate advocate for fair and sustainable systems, Rachael contributes to It Pays to Care by creating collaborative spaces for sharing ideas and driving reform through symposiums, workshops, webinars, and other initiatives. Dedicated to long-term thinking and thought leadership, Rachael works to inspire innovation and shape the future of workers’ compensation
Tanya Cambey
Stakeholder Advisor – Healthcare (Medical)
Tanya is a senior leader with an MBA and an extensive career in people and business leadership in a customer focused personal injury environment.
Tanya empowers healthcare professionals to confidently embed IPTC principles into everyday practice, transforming theory into measurable impact. She also delivers compelling presentations and keynotes that inspire audiences and drive engagement on important occupational medicine issues. Tanya was commended for outstanding individual leadership at PIEF Conference 2025.
Eva Urban
Stakeholder Advisor – Healthcare (Allied Health)
With over 20 years in personal injury insurance and scheme design, Eva brings a rare combination of nursing and legal expertise—including a master's in health law—honed through her role as former Senior Adviser Policy & Regulation, Workers Compensation at Suncorp. Her experience spans injury management claims, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and legal representation.
Now in semi-retirement, Eva works with IPTC's allied health professionals to embed the biopsychosocial approach into everyday clinical practice—bridging the gap between evidence and implementation.
Catherine Day
Director Employer Supervision and RTW at NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority
Catherine is an experienced regulatory leader with more than 20 years’ experience in workers compensation and personal injury schemes in NSW. As Director at the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), she established risk-based supervision functions, designed return to work performance frameworks, and led major strategic and legislative reforms to improve scheme outcomes for workers and employers. She is recognised for delivering transparent, evidence-led regulation and building high-performing teams.
Catherine combines deep regulatory expertise with strong stakeholder engagement and change leadership capability. She holds a Master of Rehabilitation Counselling and a Bachelor of Social Science, and is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors.
Joshua Pearson
Workplace Recovery Provider
Josh is a Workplace Recovery Provider at Australia Post, working within the in-house Workplace Recovery and Health team. He brings experience in injury management and return-to-work coordination across the personal injury sector, with exposure to multiple jurisdictions and legislative frameworks.
Josh has a strong focus on early intervention and the practical integration of biopsychosocial approaches into day-to-day practice. He is passionate about translating clinical research and evidence into operational workflows that enhance engagement and support improved recovery and return-to-work outcomes.
He also holds a strong interest in strengthening the personal injury management workforce, with a focus on improving the attraction, development, and retention of professionals within the industry.
Operational Support Team
Cheryl Griffiths is the General Manager of RTWMatters, It Pays to Care’s primary secretariat partner. Cheryl provides critical operational and corporate services support to the IPTC team.
Vanessa Ientile provides events and communications support to the It Pays To Care team. Vanessa has extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector, supporting disadvantaged individuals, families and communities. She specialises in communications, events and fundraising and is passionate about using this to raise awareness, advocate for inclusion and give a voice to those often left unheard.
Lauren Finestone is a lawyer-turned-writer with a passion for writing content in easy-to-read, engaging and accessible language. She curates and writes articles for the fortnightly RTWMatters newsletter. She frequently collaborates with the IPTC team.