MEET THE PANEL

Insider knowledge can be hugely helpful in Hong Kong, whether it’s from a person who grew up here, a long-term expat or even someone who is fresh off the boat! This group of six panellists have generously shared their tips, tricks and recommendations in the pages ahead.

MONICA GOUNAROPOULOS

British/Greek expat Monica has been in Hong Kong for almost three years; it’s her first expat posting, and she’s here with her husband and two kids. Monica runs a personal gifting service, The Masked Gifter (themaskedgifter.com), offering a personal shopper experience. If you’re short on time or ideas (or you hate shopping!), she can curate, source, wrap and deliver the perfect gift.

DOMINIQUE BACKHOUSE

Dominique is British/French and has lived in Hong Kong for 37 years. Her English grandfather arrived here in 1945 with the Liberation fleet, and her French grandfather in the early 1970s to work in banking. Dominique has lived in Sydney, New York, Edinburgh and London, but always comes back to HK! She’s here now with her husband and son, and runs Companion Communications (companioncommunications.com), a PR agency focusing on culture, travel, food and sustainability.

ADAM RABY

Adam is Chinese/ English and was born and raised in Hong Kong; his family has since retired back to the UK. He started his career in advertising before moving to play professional rugby union. Today, Adam runs his own swimwear business, Mazu Resortwear (mazuresortwear.com), which he launched eight years ago.

SARAH KEATES

Sarah is from the UK but has spent the past 10 years in Hong Kong, where she lives with her son. Earlier expat postings included Ibiza and mainland Spain in her 20s. Sarah owns and operates PR and marketing agency White Orchid Insights (whiteorchidinsights.com), serving clients across the education, aviation, nonprofit, wellness, luxury and start-up sectors.

MAX DAVIES

Max is a Brit and a relatively new arrival on these shores – he’s approaching his one-year anniversary in Hong Kong as this guide hits the shelves. This is Max’s first expat posting; he came across with his fiancée and works in asset management.

ALINE DAVIES

Originally from here, Aline lived away for Hong Kong before returning five years ago with her partner and family. Aside from freelancing for an international furniture brand, offering brand communications and content strategy support, she also runs Sincerely Aline (@sincerelyaline), which is all about wholesome, fuss-free cooking, and teaches plant-based cooking classes at Foodcraft.