Signature Staff

About Us

Signature Staff has been successfully placing elite staff with Private Households, Family Offices and Corporations in the UK and Overseas for over 60 years.

The Signature Staff team, all of whom have themselves worked in Private Households or Corporations, cater for Private Client’s requirements by matching them with best-in-class PA’s, Family Office Managers, Housekeepers, Domestic Couples, House Managers, Chefs, Nannies, Maternity Nurses.

The Signature Staff Corporate Hospitality Team match your corporation’s requirements to source best-in-class Corporate Waiting Staff, Corporate Kitchen Porters, Corporate Chefs, Corporate Butlers, Corporate Event Supervisors.

The Signature Staff vetting process is extremely thorough; with a dedicated admin team personally verifying references and undertaking an in-depth interviewing and onboarding process.

Signature Staff is an expanding team of 15 experienced recruitment professionals in Victoria, London and has the benefit of a rich pool of candidates across the globe, rendering it one of the global leaders in Private Household, Family Office & Corporate Hospitality recruitment.

 

Meet the Team

Iona James

Recruitment Director

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Iona James

Recruitment Director

Iona leads the Signature Staff team and is ably supported by Ellie Lowe and Tonya Illing.

Her Recruitment Director role includes oversight of the Corporate and Private Household teams, in addition to herself running temporary and permanent placements for our larger Corporate and Private clients. Iona’s role also extends to business development, in which she seeks to grow Signature Staff’s already impressive list of industry partners.

After leaving school, Iona completed an extensive cookery course which she put to good use working for a multitude of corporate London catering companies and private clients in the UK and abroad. This ignited her passion for the hospitality industry and made her particularly well-placed to work with high-net-worth clients filling an assortment of chef and front of house roles.

Iona lived abroad for 12 years of her life and particularly enjoys travelling, experiencing the world’s best cuisines as well as spending her free time participating in team sports.

[email protected]

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Tonya Illing

Head Recruitment Consultant – Childcare

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Tonya Illing

Head Recruitment Consultant – Childcare

Tonya leads the team dedicated to all nanny, maternity nurse and other childcare related placements.

After leaving her family’s farm in South Africa at eighteen, Tonya spent seven years as an international nanny before joining our ranks as a receptionist in 2002.

She soon made herself indispensable and is now one of the best-known names in the industry, as well as the cog that keeps the office turning. Tonya is a foodie, loves going on curious tours around the city and her specialist subject is London Public Transport.

[email protected]

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Ellie Lowe

Head Recruitment Consultant – Corporate Hospitality

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Ellie Lowe

Head Recruitment Consultant – Corporate Hospitality

Ellie leads the hospitality team alongside Iona James, placing temporary and permanent hospitality staff within private households and corporate clients.

Ellie has worked in hospitality recruitment both in London and Sydney for over 9 years. She uses her strong interpersonal skills in building relationships both within the office as well as in providing a premium service for our candidate and client base.  

Ellie has a true passion for food and wine, and you will regularly find her exploring the vibrant restaurant scene that London offers

[email protected]

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James Pawle

Managing Director & Chairman

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James Pawle

Managing Director & Chairman

As Managing Director, James oversees the strategic direction of the business and assists with day-to-day management.

James has a background in finance where he has more than 10 years experience investing in and providing operational oversight to companies across a diverse range of sectors including recruitment, luxury retail, professional services, school uniform, automotive, building materials, and film distribution.

James enjoys exploring new countries, and is a huge fan of great food and wine.

[email protected]

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Emily Lyle

Senior Recruitment Consultant – Corporate Hospitality

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Emily Lyle

Senior Recruitment Consultant – Corporate Hospitality

Emily is responsible for managing all corporate temporary bookings and liaises with clients and candidates on a daily basis.

Her enthusiasm for the hospitality industry began when she completed the Leith’s School of Food and Wine. This led to her working in a high-end lodge in the Kruger National Park for 4 months, splitting her time between working in a busy kitchen and front of house.

When not in the office Emily enjoys playing team sports, walking and discovering local gin distilleries.

[email protected]

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Cathy Synan

Head of Accounts – Corporate Hospitality

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Cathy Synan

Head of Accounts – Corporate Hospitality

Cathy joined the leading hospitality recruitment agency, Blues Agency,  in 1989 after a career in Australia, working for Myer as an Accounts and Payroll Administrator. 

After joining Blues Agency, she completed a three-month cookery course at Leiths. Cathy has developed a wonderful working relationship with all our clients and candidates. She is responsible for the weekly payroll, accounts and invoicing.

Cathy loves to travel in Europe and Australia.

[email protected]

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Farah Teja

Junior Recruitment Consultant – Childcare

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Farah Teja

Junior Recruitment Consultant – Childcare

Farah joined Signature Staff as a receptionist in 2021 and has since quickly transitioned from an administration role to becoming a junior recruitment consultant on the childcare team.

Farah studied at Kingston University, gaining a degree in Nutrition. With previous experience in administration and customer care, she is able to work efficiently and also build a strong rapport with both candidates and clients.

Farah enjoys dancing, attending various exercise classes, visiting new places and spending time with friends and family.

[email protected]

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Lucy Cornelissen

Junior Recruitment Consultant – Corporate Hospitality

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Lucy Cornelissen

Junior Recruitment Consultant – Corporate Hospitality

Lucy joined our team in 2022 after graduating from Oxford Brookes with a degree in Business and Marketing Management. She is responsible for overseeing the resourcing of new candidates across the Hospitality division of the business, in addition to facilitating temporary placements across a number of key corporate clients.

After growing up in Cheshire, Lucy moved down to London to start her career in recruitment. She has an extremely good grounding and knowledge of the hospitality industry, gained from previously working as a Chalet Host in France as well as having completed Orchards Cookery School.

Outside of the office, Lucy loves travelling, sailing, and spending time with family and friends.

[email protected]

Archie Ley

Junior Recruitment Consultant – Corporate Hospitality

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Archie Ley

Junior Recruitment Consultant – Corporate Hospitality

Archie joined our team in 2022 and he is responsible for onboarding new candidates, assisting on placements, and maintaining client relationships. Archie also helps with the organising, and running of corporate hospitality events for Signature Staff clients.

Archie has a background in PR and most recently founded and ran a Spirits brand, distillery and retail store in Oxfordshire. Archie really enjoys building lasting relationships with both clients and candidates.

Outside of the office, Archie enjoys socialising with family & friends, and is a lover of good food.

Amelia Marsh

Junior Recruitment Consultant – Household Staff

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Amelia Marsh

Junior Recruitment Consultant – Household Staff

Amelia joined Signature Staff in 2022 and she is responsible for resourcing new candidates and managing client relationships across the Private Household Staff division.

Amelia started her career as an Executive Assistant in the City, and she subsequently went into Interior Design, prior to joining Signature Staff. Amelia has gained a wealth of experience in the Private Household industry as a chef for High-Net-Worth clients on both yachts and in private ski chalets.

Amelia enjoys going to the countryside on the weekends, reading about household interiors and socialising with her friends.

[email protected]

Ellie O’Meara

Recruitment Executive – Childcare

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Ellie O’Meara

Recruitment Executive – Childcare

Ellie joined the team as a recruitment administrator in 2021 after leaving university having completed her degree in English Language and Linguistics. She has quickly been promoted into a Recruitment Executive role taking on more responsibility in the process.

She has a background in customer service which has given her an eye for detail and strives to help candidates have the most positive experience as possible.

Ellie grew up on the Sussex coast and enjoys a good dog walk, as well as live music and travelling.

[email protected]

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Sally Marples

Recruitment Resourcer – Corporate Hospitality

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Sally Marples

Recruitment Resourcer – Corporate Hospitality

Sally is a Recruitment Resourcer for our hospitality division. She is responsible for resourcing new candidates and ensuring effective communication between clients and candidates on a daily basis. 

With her previous experience in customer facing roles across retail and hospitality industries, in addition to being a travel nanny for High-Net-Worth clients, Sally has a great understanding of our client’s needs. She is passionate about delivering first-class service and identifying top-tier candidates in the hospitality industry.

Outside of the office, Sally enjoys running, travelling, and exploring new areas of London.

Izzy Leuchars

Recruitment Resourcer – Corporate Hospitality

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Izzy Leuchars

Recruitment Resourcer – Corporate Hospitality

Izzy works as a Recruitment Resourcer for our hospitality division. In 2023, she joined our team after graduating from Exeter University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Her primary role involves resourcing new candidates across the hospitality division ensuring professional relationships are built from the offset.

Izzy’s hands-on experience in the hospitality field, including working at a gastro-pub and various high-end events, has given her a broad understanding of the industry and what is involved to ensure our staff meet our client’s standards.

Outside of the office, Izzy loves playing team sports, travel and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Violet Franks

Recruitment Resourcer – Household Staff

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Violet Franks

Recruitment Resourcer – Household Staff

Violet is a Recruitment Resourcer for our Private Household division. Violet’s core responsibilities include resourcing and forging strong working relationships with prospective candidates for the desk as well as maintaining effective communication with existing candidates on our books.

Violet graduated from the University of Exeter with a degree in Art History and Visual Culture and joined our team in 2023. Since leaving school, Violet worked as a nanny for High-Net-Worth families for over 4 years. This ignited her interest of working in the private household recruitment industry, not to mention provided her with excellent knowledge of what our client’s require and expect from their household staff.

Outside of work, Violet loves team sports, reading, and travelling.

Enquire

Please do get in touch with one of our Signature Staff team members to discuss your requirements. 

Work with Signature Staff

If you’re interested in working with us, send us an email at [email protected], and don’t forget to send us your CV.

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