Paul Tulip
Partner & Founder
Paul Tulip is the Founder and Partner of Yorkshire Bridge and brings more than 25 years of international Executive Search and Recruitment experience across the Retail, Consumer, FMCG and Industrial sectors. Originally from Yorkshire in the UK, Paul commenced his career in executive recruitment before moving to London, where he partnered with many of the UK’s leading Retail and Consumer brands, delivering senior appointments including CEOs, Managing Directors and Commercial Leaders for both national and global organisations.
In his younger years, Paul represented and captained Yorkshire at cricket, and it was through the sport that he first came to Australia before later emigrating permanently to Melbourne following a successful recruitment career in the UK. After relocating, he joined a leading Executive Search firm where he established and grew their Retail & Consumer Practice.
In 2014, Paul founded Yorkshire Bridge, which has since become a highly regarded Executive Search and leadership advisory firm trusted by Boards, CEOs, founders and executive leadership teams across Australia. Over the past decade, he has partnered with ASX-listed organisations, founder-led businesses, private equity-backed groups and multinational brands to secure high-calibre leadership talent during periods of growth, transformation, succession planning and operational change.
Known for his highly relationship-led and discreet approach, Paul has built a strong reputation for identifying and engaging exceptional talent in competitive and often confidential markets. He takes the time to deeply understand a client’s culture, strategy and leadership dynamics, enabling him to represent organisations authentically and attract leaders aligned to both performance and long-term fit.
Outside of executive search, Paul serves on the board of MND Victoria, an organisation very close to his heart. Away from work, he enjoys spending time with his family, coaching junior sport and playing golf.
Mathew Newman
Partner
After an early career in Sales & Marketing with a family-owned business in the textiles industry, Mathew moved to London in 1997 where he was introduced to the recruitment industry – where he found his calling. After 3 years in London, he returned to Australia to establish the Melbourne office of a global recruitment firm where he specialised in finance and accounting appointments. He spent a number of years in the industry before joining a leading Australian executive search business where he spent 16 years as an Equity Partner, focusing on C-level and Board appointments in the Industrial Practice. He is best known for working with high-growth, mid-market businesses that are looking to achieve a liquidity event within the medium term.
Mathew joined Yorkshire Bridge as a Partner in 2024. He brings 27 years of experience in C-Suite and senior leadership appointments having built a strong reputation and extensive networks across the Industrial, Manufacturing, Services, Technology, and Wholesale Distribution sectors. He works closely with Boards and CEOs of privately owned, Private Equity backed, Australian subsidiaries and mid-cap ASX-listed companies, providing strategic leadership solutions. A trusted advisor to the Australian business community, Mathew’s deep networks and long-standing relationships enable him to connect organisations with top executive talent.
Outside of work, Mathew is an investor and sits on a number of Advisory Boards. He is a dedicated father to his 12-year old twins, Alice and Freddie who keep him on his toes. An avid tennis player, he also enjoys spending time in the water, or simply unwinding by the coast.
Lehia Johnston
Head of Research
Lehia leads the research team from Yorkshire Bridge’s Melbourne office, where she provides leadership and direction on research projects whilst managing and developing our Research Associates and constantly refining research methodology and tools. Lehia has a passion for technology, improving systems and processes and the utilisation of digital tools and AI.
She brings over 15 years’ executive search and talent acquisition experience across diverse sectors including Retail; Consumer; FMCG; Industrial, Private Equity, and other sectors. She has a demonstrated capability in delivering executive level research, with a proven track record of presenting strong shortlists for challenging and hard-to-fill roles.
Lehia graduated from university in Melbourne with a Bachelor of Communications and spent a number of years in Media before joining the executive search and recruitment industry. Lehia enjoys ensuring the strength of the Yorkshire Bridge name in the local and international markets. She is very passionate about connecting with great people across all industries, wherever they may reside.
When not driving outcomes for Yorkshire Bridge’s clients, Lehia is a busy mother to her 3 children and whenever she has a spare minute she will be found with her head in a book!
