Signature Staff

About Us

Signature Staff has been successfully placing elite staff with private households and corporations in the UK and Overseas for over 60 years.

The Signature Staff team will cater for your household’s requirements to source a nanny, norland nanny, private chef, personal assistant, maternity nurse or house manager and also your corporation’s requirements to source corporate waiting staff, corporate chefs and corporate butlers.

In January 2022, Signature Staff merged with Blues Agency, a leader in both corporate hospitality recruitment and private household 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 Fletcher 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 – Hospitality

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Ellie Lowe

Head Recruitment Consultant – 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

CEO & Chairman

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James Pawle

CEO & Chairman

As CEO, 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 – Hospitality

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Emily Lyle

Senior Recruitment Consultant – 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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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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Emma Tomlinson

Recruitment Executive - Hospitality

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Emma Tomlinson

Recruitment Executive - Hospitality

Emma joined Signature Staff in January 2022 and is our Recruitment Executive in the Hospitality Division. She is responsible for onboarding new candidates, assisting on placements, and maintaining client relationships.

Emma has strong experience working in both the hospitality and private household fields, having worked as a waitress, nanny and undertaken private chef roles. Emma grew up in Yorkshire before making the move to London post university to pursue a career in recruitment. 

Outside of work, Emma enjoys playing tennis and has a passion for eating Italian food.

[email protected]

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Archie Ley

Recruitment Executive – Corporate Hospitality

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Archie Ley

Recruitment Executive – Corporate Hospitality

Archie joined our team in 2022 as a Recruitment Executive in the Hospitality Division. 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

Recruitment Executive – Household Staff

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Amelia Marsh

Recruitment Executive – 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.

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Lucy Cornelissen

Recruitment Executive – Hospitality

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Lucy Cornelissen

Recruitment Executive – Hospitality

Lucy joined our team in 2022 after graduating from Oxford Brookes with a degree in Business and Marketing Management. She is responsible for resourcing 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]

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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