Victoria Hepworth

I am a New Zealander with more than 20 years’ experience in event organising and project management. I have first-hand knowledge of living, working and succeeding in Japan, China, Russia, Sweden, and India before moving to the UAE in 2008. 

I have managed large scale events with various Chambers of Commerce; I have delivered training programs to multinational audiences; researched and written content for expatriate websites whilst living as an expat myself. I taught English as a second language in Japan and China; set up professional social associations in cities where I felt my tribe was missing and faced my fears and delivered a monolog, on stage, to a real live audience in Dubai!  

I have used my degree in Cross Cultural Psychology to establish a volunteer telephone hotline in Shanghai in 2002 (LifeLine Shanghai, which is now China wide ), co-authored a book on living outside of your home country: Expat Confessions: 50 Answers to Real Life Questions in 2011 and in the same year established Corporate Affair Event Management LLC in Dubai.  

I delivered many successful events as Corporate Affair for a wide range of companies and industries in the region including Emirates Printing Press, Zurich, Cigna, HSBC, Goldman Sacs, SNC Lavalin. I created community sporting events and leagues such as the Super 6s touch community, International Womens Day Golf, and the Zurich Cricket Sixes.   These all involved gaining sponsorship and sponsor management, selling team entries and providing an event that an audience would enjoy too.  I exited as Managing Director of Corporate Affair Event Management during the pandemic but am incredibly proud of what we achieved and delivered over our 10 years in business.

I am married to a cricket loving, padel tennis playing Yorkshireman and we have two teenaged daughters, both of whom were born here.  We also have our Swiss Shephard dog 'Larry' who shirks his heritage and loves to sunbathe in the UAE heat.  I am proud of my kiwi passport, but I do love living in Dubai!  Blue skies, palm trees, BBQ’s and the beach – simple pleasures that I never take for granted.

I am excited and reinvigorated to start out on my own again and look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.