Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 2025 – Rachel Sturgess has been elevated to the role of Executive Vice President at Tahaluf, marking a rapid and merit-driven rise through the organisation’s leadership ranks.
Reflecting on her journey, Mike Champion, Chief Executive Officer, Tahaluf, stated: “Just over two years ago, Rachel Sturgess joined us as a Group Director. In that short space of time, through sheer grit, fairness, relentless standards, and commercial brilliance, she has progressed from Group Director to VP, SVP, and now Executive Vice President — an extraordinary rise that reflects nothing but merit.” Her expanded remit includes leading flagship platforms such as Global Health Exhibition – ملتقى الصحة العالمي and Cityscape Global, and building a high-performing team of more than 100 professionals as the portfolio grows beyond the USD 120 million mark.
At Tahaluf, Rachel Sturgess has seen an exceptional trajectory in just over two years. Joining as Group Director in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, she quickly established herself as a commercial and people-centric leader across Tahaluf’s marquee events, including Global Health Exhibition and Cityscape Global. Her delivery of world-class experiences, elevated customer satisfaction, and global-level attendance, combined with the trust she has built with government partners, clients and her teams, paved the way for successive promotions to Vice President, Senior Vice President, and now Executive Vice President.
Prior to joining Tahaluf, Rachel Sturgess served as Portfolio Director at Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with full P&L responsibility for a suite of aerospace exhibitions and conferences. In that role, she managed high-level government events with Heads of State in attendance, overseeing the end-to-end lifecycle from concept through delivery. Her work in the aerospace sector sharpened her ability to operate in highly strategic, regulated and protocol-driven environments while sustaining commercial growth and stakeholder confidence.
Earlier, Rachel Sturgess was Director Exhibitions at Dubai World Trade Centre, leading overall event strategy and project execution for CABSAT, the Middle East’s leading exhibition for media, broadcast and satellite. With over 450 exhibitors and 13,000 visitors, she was responsible for positioning the event as a regional benchmark for content, experience and commercial outcomes, working closely with exhibitors, partners and international delegations to grow its influence in the global media and technology ecosystem.
Before her leadership roles in Dubai’s major venues and international portfolios, Rachel Sturgess spent more than six years at IQPC, progressing from Conference Producer to Divisional Director and running a division that delivered around 45 events annually across New York and Dubai. In this period, she built and led cross-functional teams, managed P&L for multi-market portfolios, and honed her ability to design content-rich, commercially successful events across sectors, laying the foundation for her later impact in large-scale, government-backed and globally recognised exhibitions.
Building on this diverse track record across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and international event hubs, Rachel Sturgess now steps into the Executive Vice President role at Tahaluf with a reputation for scaling portfolios, leading high-performing teams and building deep trust with government stakeholders and corporate partners. Her journey reflects a consistent pattern: turning complex, high-stakes event platforms into global benchmarks for experience, impact and growth.
Tahaluf is a Saudi joint venture inspired by Vision 2030, formed between Informa PLC, the world’s largest events company, and key Saudi entities including the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) and the Events Investment Fund (EIF). Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, Tahaluf develops and delivers large-scale, international-standard events that attract global audiences, catalyse knowledge exchange and help position the Kingdom as a premier destination for world-class exhibitions and conferences.
Through iconic platforms such as Cityscape Global and Global Health Exhibition – ملتقى الصحة العالمي, Tahaluf is setting new benchmarks for the global events industry. Its mandate is closely aligned with Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification agenda, creating new opportunities for foreign investment, market access and sectoral growth, while showcasing the Kingdom’s capabilities across real estate, healthcare, technology and other strategic domains.
Read Also : When HR “Produces Nothing”: A Response to Jennifer Sey’s Anti-HR Vision
The Fine Balance: Navigating Work, Life, and Mental Wellbeing
Mind the Leadership Gap – From Learning to Real-World Impact
How the Adecco Group is empowering its employees for the future of work
