Meet the Team

David Press – Director, DMJ Company Secretarial

David has specialised in the recruitment of company secretaries since 1999. Widely recognised as a leading name in this field, David has placed company secretaries into many of the UK’s leading businesses including FTSE 500 groups, limited companies, professional practices and financial services.

In addition to keeping track of changes in the company secretarial profession, David goes to great lengths to understand his clients’ exact requirements to ensure the right approach to recruitment is taken. He is often on the phone to his clients talking about matters outside core recruitment such as advice on departmental structures, staff retention and salaries.

David prides himself in meeting with each candidate to build up an accurate picture of their career to date and what motivates them so that he can provide a personal service and first-class careers advice.

Outside the office David loves his cars and has recently restored a classic 1950’s sports car. When he is feeling a little more energetic, David enjoys a long bike ride or a competitive game of badminton.

E-mail:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1440

Adam Stitcher – Consultant, DMJ Company Secretarial

As a graduate in Psychology from Oxford Brookes University, Adam knows better than most what makes people tick.

Adam felt that a career in recruitment would be the perfect way of putting theory into practice and joined DMJ Company Secretarial as a consultant in January 2008. His ability to recognise personality traits and apply them in a relevant way ensures that when working on an assignment he always achieves a perfect match between client and candidate.

Specialising at the junior to mid level company secretarial appointments, Adam has built strong working relationships with clients and candidates alike and has established himself as a trusted name in the company secretarial recruitment market.

Outside the office Adam is a keen traveler and sports fan. When he is not backpacking around remote parts of the world, Adam can be found taking a battering on the pitch playing for the Old Wellingtonians Rugby Club on Saturday afternoons.

Email:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1443

Leena Babajee - Consultant, DMJ Company Secretarial

Leena graduated with a law degree from The University of Sheffield in 2007 before moving to London to pursue her career in legal recruitment. She started her career at a leading legal recruitment consultancy focusing on placing junior to mid-level associates in-house and within city and international law firms. She then moved to a boutique headhunting consultancy where she focused solely on placing partners in both UK and US law firms.

Leena joined DMJ Company Secretarial in October 2010 where she specialises in recruiting company secretaries at all levels into a broad range of quoted groups, private companies, financial services and professional practice.

Leena is a self confessed gym addict who often indulges in pilates classes, yoga and the new Zumba craze! She also loves to travel. Recent spots of interest include Mauritius, Rome and Prague.

Email:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1449

Chris Wilcox - Consultant, DMJ Company Secretarial

Chris took his first degree in Music before taking the Graduate Diploma in Law in 2007, followed by the LPC. Chris moved into recruitment in 2009 where he specialised in the recruitment of Company Secretaries of all levels across a multitude of business.

Chris’s friendly and knowledgeable approach to recruitment ensures that all candidates and clients are dealt with in a professional yet personal manner. His attention to detail throughout the whole recruitment process guarantees that no stone is left unturned.

Outside of the office Chris is a keen skier and musician, as well as being an avid cycler having completed several tours around Europe.

Email:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1454

Marc Tobias - Director, DMJ Legal

Marc graduated with a law degree from London University in 1995 before moving to the City to pursue a career in the financial markets. He moved into recruitment in 1999 and built a successful career specialising in finance and accountancy before returning to the law.

He has recruited assistants and partners into many of the City’s and West End’s leading law firms and prides himself on offering a service that is second to none. Clients often comment on Marc’s innovative approach to recruitment to ensure he leaves no stone unturned during the recruitment process. Candidates also like Marc’s straight-forward consultative approach towards finding the perfect next move.

Outside the office Marc is a keen sports fan. He is an avid supporter of Arsenal Football Club and is currently in training for his second triathlon.

E-mail:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1441

Justin Kopelowitz – Director, DMJ Legal/DMJ Mergers

Justin qualified as a solicitor in 1992 and specialised in commercial property at Howard Kennedy prior to becoming a partner at a small west end firm. He moved into legal recruitment in 1999 and now has the reputation as a leading name in partner and team moves into the major City, US, International and Regional law firms.

Justin also heads up DMJ Mergers where his intimate knowledge of the legal market has led to a number of high profile mergers of law firms in the London, US and Regional law firm markets.

When Justin isn't busy placing lawyers or merging firms, he loves to unwind by playing a competitive game of tennis or a round of golf with friends. He has recently developed a new-found interest in cooking and can often be found in the kitchen perfecting his secret recipe for the perfect curry!

E-mail:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1442

Sharon Samra – Consultant, DMJ Legal

Sharon graduated from Leicester University with an Economics degree in 1996. Deciding she was not destined to a life of number crunching, Sharon started working in investment banking recruitment in 2000 before moving over to legal recruitment in 2004.

Sharon joined DMJ Legal in 2009 and specializes in placing lawyers at all levels into private practice across the London area. She places great importance on listening carefully to what candidates need to ensure she finds the perfect role for them.

When not busy playing matchmaker to candidates and clients, Sharon loves to wow her friends and family with her culinary skills and will often bring a new cake creation into the office for the team to taste (not that we are complaining of course!).

Sharon is currently on maternity leave, please direct any queries to another member of the DMJ Legal team.

E-mail:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1448

Sarah Coughtrie - Managing Consultant, DMJ Legal

Sarah is a law graduate from the London School of Economics and has been successfully recruiting lawyers since 2005.

Having worked for an international Blue Chip recruitment company placing lawyers into private practice and in-house roles, Sarah joined DMJ Legal in December 2009 to focus on recruitment of lawyers at all levels into London and regional law firms.

Sarah has earned a reputation as an adaptable and intuitive recruiter and her candidates and clients appreciate her down to earth and honest approach. Sarah’s detailed understanding of the people she works with ensures she provides meaningful and practical advice at all times.

Sarah is a music fanatic and when not at work she can usually be found behind her decks refining her mixing skills or devouring the music press, obsessively hunting down rare tracks to add to her growing collection.

Email:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1446

Joanna Yardley – Consultant, DMJ Legal

Joanna studied Law with Business at the University of Birmingham and graduated with honours in 2010. She joined DMJ Legal in 2011 and is excited at the prospect of a long and prosperous career in legal recruitment.

Joanna is specialising in placing Associates into Private Practice and is already building up an impressive knowledge of the market place to ensure she stays one step ahead of the competition.

Outside of the office Joanna enjoys keeping fit and has recently completed a half marathon to raise money for a local cancer charity. Having successfully completed (and recovered from) her first marathon, Joanna now has her sights set firmly on completing others in the near future.

When she is not pushing herself to the limits on the road, Joanna also enjoys travelling to different European cities to learn about different cultures and more importantly sample the local cuisines!

Email:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1451

Paul Knight – Consultant, DMJ Legal

Paul has been recruiting for the legal sector since 1999 and has extensive knowledge of the legal services market having recruited for firms ranging from the magic circle through to specialist niche practices.

Paul joined DMJ in September to focus on the recruitment of lawyers into private practice and brings with him excellent client relationships and a thorough understanding of the recruitment process and the standards and detailed approach required when recruiting for law practices.

Outside of work Paul enjoys spending time with his son, watching football (both premiership and his home town team Peterborough United) and going to the gym when time permits.

Email:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1452

Chika Okeke – Consultant, DMJ Legal

Chika graduated in law from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2010 and began her career in recruitment working for one of the key legal recruitment businesses in the North West. Within her career to date she has specialised in placing lawyers into private practice across Liverpool & Merseyside, focusing more specifically within insurance.

After great success in the North West she decided to re-locate back home to London and joined DMJ Legal in 2011 to focus on recruiting qualified lawyers into in-house roles.

Outside the office Chika likes to think of herself as a “home grown fashion designer”. She keeps up with the latest trends in the market, and designs and sews a number of her own clothes which is great when wanting to save a few pennies in the shops!

Email:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1453

Jonathan Pearl – Managing Consultant, DMJ Legal

Jonathan began his career in Legal recruitment in 2007 working for a large international recruitment company. His main focus has always been placing Paralegals and support staff into private practice and in-house roles and he has never looked back since.

Jonathan has built up an enviable reputation in the paralegal market as a respected consultant that passionately cares about both his candidates and clients and as someone who is always happy to take the time to develop lasting professional relationships.

Outside the office Jonathan is a keen sports fan who loves his football and admits to being a huge Spurs fan. He also runs his own amateur football club called FC Team and can be seen very early, every Sunday morning, come rain or shine, shouting from the side-lines whilst managing his players.

Email:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1455

Caroline Rhodes – Consultant, DMJ Legal

Caroline is a history graduate from the University of East Anglia where she specialized in the History of Medicine.  After graduating she briefly worked in mortgages before  starting her career in recruitment in 2006 and has not looked back since! She has specialized in both financial and legal recruitment most recently working for a legal recruitment company recruiting across the legal sector. She joined DMJ in November 2010 to specialize in the recruitment of legal secretaries, and due to her experience in the sector and her passion for placing candidates in a role that is right for them, she is looking forward to contributing to the success of DMJ.

Outside of work Caroline is still a keen historian and enjoys visiting museums and places of historical interest both in the UK and abroad. She also enjoys long walks and can often be found up in the Yorkshire hills trying not to get lost!

Email:
Direct Line: 020 3058 1445

Paul Dipple - Managing Consultant, DMJ Finance

Paul graduated from The University of Liverpool in 2004 with a degree in history and has worked in Finance recruitment since 2007. After graduating from University Paul trained and qualified as a history teacher and spent 3 years teaching secondary school history in the midlands before returning to London to pursue a career in financial recruitment.

Paul is a well respected consultant within finance circles and has built up a reputation as a consultant who listens and delivers on both client and candidate needs swiftly and efficiently. Since 2006 Paul has placed with FTSE 100 companies as well as SMEs both within commerce and industry, not for profit and financial institutions.

Paul has placed candidates at all levels within finance ranging from ledger clerks up to qualified senior staff. He is well networked both within the temporary and permanent markets.

Outside the office Paul is a keen sports fan who sadly prides himself on an encyclopaedic knowledge of Premiership Football. He also enjoys raising money for charity, by putting himself through the pain barrier, most recently for The London marathon and Blenheim Triathlon.

Email –
Direct Line – 020 3058 1450

Tom Cole – Consultant, DMJ Recruitment Ltd

After studying Sports Science Tom began his recruitment career at a well established global recruitment agency, placing finance staff at all levels before joining DMJ Finance in June 2011.

Tom now specialises in placing finance staff into professional services and UK and international retail organisations. His area of expertise is from transactional to newly qualified level. Consequently, Tom is well networked within this space and is highly regarded by clients and candidates alike. Tom’s approach is consultative and candidates and clients regard him as a trusted adviser and a credible business partner within the market.

Outside of the office Tom is a keen all round sportsman and an ardent West Ham fan. Tom can often be spotted supporting his beloved team on the terraces at Upton Park informing his fellow fans how he played semi-professionally for Chelmsford City and Heybridge Swifts in his youth.

Email –
Direct Line – 020 3058 1447

Alex Arnot – Non-Executive Director, DMJ Recruitment Ltd

Alex Arnot sits on the board, as the Non-Executive Director, of 15 recruitment companies with have a combined turnover well in excess of £100M+. With almost 20 years recruitment experience of both growing companies and successful exits he is one of the most sought-after experts within the sector. His mantra is that the success and growth of a company should be fuelled by standing out from the crowd through innovation and providing excellent customer value.