Damian Yearnshire
Principal Consultant
Damian is a co-founder of Portland Partnership, working across the legal and accountancy practice markets. With a mix of agency and in-house experience, he brings a rounded, strategic view of recruitment and is known for his straight-talking, human approach to building long-term partnerships.
A Specialist in Professional Practice
Damian began his career in recruitment in early 2023, shortly after graduating from Durham University with a degree in History. While his time in the industry is relatively short, his approach has always been deliberate: build relationships properly, understand people’s motivations, and deliver outcomes with honesty and precision.
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Before recruitment, Damian built and ran an independent tutoring network alongside his studies, working directly with schools, families and other tutors. That experience continues to shape how he works today: commercially aware, relationship-led, and comfortable building something from the ground up.
Who Damian works with
Damian works across both legal and accountancy practice, with a relatively even split between the two. Within accountancy, his experience is strongest in audit and tax, while in legal practice he works across most disciplines.
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In terms of seniority, Damian primarily supports candidates from assistant to newly qualified, through to senior management and Director appointments. He particularly enjoys working with individuals at the point where they qualify and begin to think more carefully about the long-term shape of their career.
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Partner-level and senior leadership appointments are typically led by Drew, allowing the partnership to play to their respective strengths.
A few key milestones
May 2025
July 2024
October 2023
February 2023
In May 2025, Damian co-founded Portland. The firm was established to do recruitment properly: with honesty, focus, and genuine specialism. Portland reflects Damian’s belief that strong outcomes come from long-term relationships, clear advice, and acting with integrity at every stage of the process.
Damian returned to his original firm in July 2024 to build out legal and accountancy practice desks. Working closely with Drew, he helped establish strong regional coverage, deepen senior-level relationships, and further cement their personal reputations within the market.
In October 2023, Damian moved to an outsourced internal recruitment firm. Working across a wide range of sectors, he managed end-to-end recruitment processes, including senior and director-level appointments in industry, while continuing to place successfully within legal and accountancy practice.
Damian began his recruitment career in February 2023 after graduating from Durham University, where he studied History. Prior to recruitment, he had already shown a commercial edge, building an independent tutoring network while at university and working directly with local schools. He joined a Northern-based recruitment firm specialising in finance, where he quickly found traction within accountancy practice. Many of the relationships formed during this period remain active today.
How Damian works
Damian believes recruitment works best when it is rooted in relationships, timing and alignment not pressure or transactions. The right hire is rarely just about filling a role; it is about matching stories, ambitions and circumstances so that a move makes sense for all involved.
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There are clear lines he does not cross. Damian will never misrepresent a firm or a role to a candidate, and will never act without a candidate’s knowledge or consent. Trust is not negotiable.
Outside of work
Outside of work, Damian lifts heavy things barbells, rocks and logs, generally and does not shy away from a bit of competition, particularly with Drew. He is honest, a little bit cocky (in a good way), and never takes things too seriously. Recruitment can be stressful; he figures it does not need to be boring, too.
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If you're keen to speak with Damian directly about the market, a potential hire, or your next career move, hi is always happy to have a conversation.
See what others think
"Damian was a really big help when I was getting back into tax and finance work. He look the time to learn what I wanted from my new role and he found me my current role which was just the change in career I needed!"
Adam Crisp, Tax Accountant
Phone
+44 7304 048537
dyearnshire"portland-partnership.co.uk
