The firm behind the work.
Founded in 2014, JOH Partners is a retained executive search firm headquartered in Dubai with offices in London and Singapore. We exist to place, develop and back the executives who build enduring institutions.
A firm built for this moment.
JOH Partners was founded in Dubai in 2014, at the moment the Gulf began its turn from peripheral market into capital-exporting region. The thesis was straightforward: the executive talent layer the region was about to need would not be served by the existing global search firms, and the boards we were already advising deserved a partner-led, research-rigorous, confidentiality-first alternative.
Twelve years on, the thesis has held. We are on track to close our 1,000th senior mandate in 2026, across more than 20 countries. Our retention at 24 months is 92%. We have built three offices, six sector practices, and a suite of platforms (Board Pulse, AssessYou and the Leadership Blueprint studio) that extend the firm’s reach beyond search into adjacent leadership intelligence.
Everything we do still passes through the same simple question: would we be proud of this hire in 24 months?
The team behind the work.
By design. Partner-led, with a team built for judgement, not headcount.
— Founder
Oliver Helvin
Founder & Managing Director
Oliver Helvin is the Founder and Managing Director of JOH Partners, based in the Middle East. With over 20 years of experience in multinational corporations across Europe and the Middle East, he has held pivotal roles at Gulftainer, Al Futtaim, BP and AstraZeneca, where he led recruitment functions and built the policies, processes and KPIs that drove change and efficiency in each organisation he served. He founded JOH Partners in 2014 to deliver retained executive search the way it should be done: partner-led, research-rigorous and accountable for retention twenty-four months after the hire.
— The Team
Eugene Mizin
Recruitment Operations Manager
Eugene is a Recruitment Operations Manager based in Eastern Europe, supporting international clients across the Middle East, Europe and North America. He manages recruitment operations for industrial, maritime, logistics and infrastructure-focused organisations, including businesses operating in shipyards, ports and marine services environments. With a Master's degree in Project Management, Eugene brings a structured, process-driven approach to delivery, supporting roles across operations, finance, HR and senior management in complex, asset-intensive organisations.
Liezel Abuzo
Delivery Consultant, Senior Administration
Liezel is an experienced Business Development Specialist with a background in improving business operations and supporting growth across multiple sectors and international settings. She has successfully managed projects and provided strategic insights that have driven business outcomes for the organisations she has served. Over the course of her career she has worked remotely from cities across the United States and Europe, including New York, Denver, West Palm Beach, Charleston and Monaco, bringing a wealth of experience across diverse markets.
Euness Baring
Delivery Consultant, Senior Talent
Euness is an accomplished Senior Talent Specialist based in Asia, with extensive experience in international talent sourcing and strategic recruitment. She specialises in securing senior-level professionals across multiple sectors, aligning hiring strategies with organisational goals to drive efficiency and innovation. Her work has spanned the Middle East, United Kingdom and the Philippines, giving her a global perspective on talent acquisition. Her industry experience across ports, shipping, offshore and industrial operations enables her to deliver talent aligned with safety-critical and operationally complex environments across the Middle East, UK and Asia.
Sophia Kulyk
Delivery Consultant
Sophia Kulyk is a versatile and highly qualified member of the JOH Partners team, specialising in finance recruitment with a proven track record. Her extensive international experience allows her to navigate the complexities of global recruitment, connecting with a diverse range of candidates and clients from different cultural backgrounds. Fluent in Ukrainian, English, Spanish and Polish, Sophia's language skills enhance her communication and relationship-building, making her particularly effective when engaging with people across different regions.
Alice Ursul
Client Growth & Partnerships Executive
Alice supports business development, client engagement and strategic outreach at JOH Partners. With a background in lead generation, marketing and digital content, she has experience working with international clients across marketing agencies and digital platforms, managing outreach campaigns, presales communication and content strategy. Alice brings strong expertise in client relationship building, copywriting and SEO-driven marketing, helping JOH Partners expand partnerships and connect with new opportunities across global markets.
Where we work.
Dubai
Operating since 2014
London
Operating since 2021
Singapore
Operating since 2024
Tell us about the seat.
We’ll tell you who’s right.
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