Mr. Robert Anthony Christian, B.Eng. (UK) is the CEO of TOGA Engineering Management Consultants, the company that providing a shutdown and maintenance function for plants ranging from mining to Oil, Gas and Petrochemical. Before joining TOGA, Robert worked as a Solutions Manager for Sprecher & Shuh where he was in charge in shutdown & Turnaround for the heavy industry ranging from oil and gas and mining. Earlier to Sprecher & Shuh, he worked as a Solutions Manager, Project Manager, Project Engineer and Maintenance Engineers for Square-D Ltd., Noble, General Motors and Ford.

Robert is one of those rare individuals who combines a strong theoretical knowledge with that of practical on the job experience. His working career for the past twenty years has focused on shutdown and start-ups of plants from industries ranging from oil and gas to mining to factories where he has acted as the Project Manager.

Tony is the first to admit that he has made mistakes and learnt a lot in the numerous shutdowns and start-ups that he has co-ordinated over the years. But what distinguishes Tony from the academic theoristsis that he has done the hard yards and knows what works and doesn't. He doesn't merely refer to a textbook but draws on real life experience where he has cut his teeth on real shutdown and start up projects. He has achieved a deservedly excellent reputation over the past years for his "best in breed" shutdown, turnaround and start-up projects.

He is well known as a superb communicator who knows his subject well and transfers the key points across quickly and effectively. Previous participants at his courses have commented that they have benefited from his superb practical experience in the unforgiving environment of shutdowns, turnaround and start-ups.

In early 1990 he formulated what is referred to as the Toga Shutdown and start up approach and has since refined this significantly to the numerous shutdowns that he has managed over the past years.