Christian Toro was born in the beautiful coastal city, Vina del Mar, Chile. At the age of two, he and his family relocated to southern California where he grew up enjoying the beach and surfing the waves. While living in Huntington Beach as a teen, his passion for surfing deepened. Each morning before school, his father drove him to the beach on his way to work at LAX. Chris spent the pre-dawn hour relaxing in the tranquility of the ocean sounds, as he awaited sunrise. As he became acutely aware of the therapeutic benefits of an induced state of calmness, this morning ritual at the beach became his favorite part of the day. A reflection of these serene memories has sculpted his personal belief about living life with purpose. The foundation of his personal and professional success lies in his pragmatic approach.
Chris brings a thoughtful and full-perspective to his operation by leading with conviction, supported by his knowledge of aviation technical standards. Promoting a safety culture, for improvement of the overall performance of the organization, is a key priority in his mission. His composure and effective conflict resolution have assisted in the cultivation of highly regarded, industry-wide relationships. These inherent traits are hallmarks of Chris' career.
Being a leader has been an evolving and rewarding endeavor throughout his career. The recurring theme of incorporating: safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion is at the forefront of his vision. Chris is an astute and poised leader, with expertise and ambition to assist in achieving corporate initiatives.
Currently, owner of Toro1 Group, a professional consultancy focused on expert witnessing, predictive maintenance processes, and organizational improvements.
Formerly, Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering through August 2019 at Allegiant. Chris engaged a cultural change within the maintenance organization to continue the upward trajectory of this growing airline while keeping his finger on the pulse of aviation risk-reduction. His vision for MD80 operations allowed the company to realize significant improvement gains for the final 18 operational months, while concurrently implementing the induction of greater than 47 Airbus A320 aircraft. This transition categorized the airline as an exclusive Airbus operator of a growing fleet, currently at 87 aircraft.
At Southwest Airlines, his successful assembly of both a world-class surveillance quality system and highly effective team were pivotal contributions in meeting the requirements of the new, FAA mandated Safety Management Systems (SMS) rule ahead of schedule. In continuation of Southwest's incredible safety record, this new surveillance quality system enabled a heightened proactive risk-mitigation, in conjunction with the continued growth measures of the airline.
As Director of International Line Maintenance at UPS, consisting of 74 international airports in Central/ South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, Chris was instrumental in standardizing the leadership structure in each theater of operation and improving fleet performance. Prior to his role as Director of International Line Maintenance, he headed heavy maintenance in Singapore for MD11 passenger-to-freighter modifications, B747 C/D check maintenance in Hong Kong (HAECO), and B747 passenger-to-freighter modifications in Tel Aviv, Israel.
His career began as a technician, and later an inspector at Flying Tiger Line, a worldwide air cargo carrier based in Los Angeles, California. He is profoundly grateful to have worked with his father from the beginning of his career, to the completion of nearly a decade together. The evolution of their relationship from father/son, to work colleagues, and finally to lifetime friends has been a cherished experience!
Currently, Chris resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Amy and son Seth. He enjoys four-wheel excursions and hiking in the Red Rock Canyon of Las Vegas, Nevada, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park of southern Utah, and Coconino National Forest and Red Rock State Park of Sedona, Arizona.
Chris Toro can be reached at christian@Toro1group.com or telephone at (972) 514-9121.
Captain Eric Gust is a respected and highly accomplished aviation professional offering a distinguished career in Operational Safety Programs – to include Flight, Ground, Cabin and Maintenance; FAA compliance; risk management; and Emergency planning. He is result-oriented with a strong ability to communicate effectively with executive, business and regulatory audiences. He has over 25 years of airline experience to include 23 years of aircraft line flying and 18 years of executive roles. He currently is a line Captain for Allegiant on the A320.
Eric was formerly the Vice President of Operations and the Vice President of Safety and Security for Allegiant. During his 9-year executive tenure, he also fulfilled the FAA required 14 CFR Part 119.65 positions of the Director of Operations and Director of Safety and kept current as a line qualified Captain on the A320 and MD80. He is a subject matter expert in airline Operational Control and ensured that federal, state and local safety laws, regulations, codes, and rules were observed. Eric was the primary company representative interfacing with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Defense (DOD), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and insurance underwriters. He was responsible for the fleet induction and transition from MD80/B757 aircraft to a single fleet of A320 which contributed significantly to Allegiant’s success.
Eric was largely responsible for the robust Allegiant Safety culture. The pace and the growth of the Safety programs were unsurpassed in the industry. He developed and implemented the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) for Flight Crews, Inflight Crews, Dispatchers, Mechanics and Ground employees. Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) was implemented for the MD80, B757 and A320 aircraft. Fatigue programs were developed for Pilots and Flight Attendants. Eric was key in ensuring the FAA’s mandated Safety Management System (SMS) program was implemented ahead of schedule. He was a facilitator for proving runs and the evacuation demonstrations of the A320 and B757. He also managed the Drug and Alcohol Program, OSHA, EPA, Security and Emergency Response programs.
Previous to Allegiant, Eric worked at Mesa Airlines for 16 years as the Vice President of Flight Operations, Vice President of Safety and Security, Manager of the Internal Evaluation Program, and an Aircraft A&P/Inspector. He also kept current as a line pilot on the CRJ and BE1900 aircraft
Mr. Bowers founded the Center for Student Travel Safety (CSTS) in October of 2015. The mission of CSTS is to help make travel safe for all tour participants, worldwide. Working with organizations such as the Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA), Mr. Bowers took the lead role in developing the first of its kind industry standards for all Student Travel Organizations to improve safety practices, training, and safety education. In 2019, Mr. Bowers transferred ownership of CSTS to SYTA. CSTS is now a 502-3C non-profit organization and will govern the new standards going forward. Mr. Bowers is a Student Travel Safety Consultant and works with many Student Travel Tour Operators to help them improve operations and safety practices. Mr. Bowers started his Student Travel career when he joined People to People Ambassador Programs in 2008 as Senior Director, Health & Safety, a position he held until September 2014. As the only educational travel organization at the time to employ a full-time Sr. Director of travel health and safety, People to People Ambassador Programs solidified its position as a safety leader in the tour operations market.
As Senior Director, Mr. Bowers offered more than 30 years of experience in travel safety and operations management. He helped the organization take all necessary steps and then some, in order to ensure that every person traveling with People to People Ambassador Programs was safe. Mr. Bowers was heavily involved in carrying out day-to-day safety operations and oversaw the execution of health and safety initiatives such as: safety incident analysis, employee training programs and customer and employee communications. First and foremost, he provided his safety expertise and guidance to ensure the safety and well-being of all travelers. Mr. Bowers previously served as Director of Base Operations for Allegiant Air where he was responsible for the 14 largest Base Operations in the United States. He also served as Director of Station Operations for Mesaba Air where he was responsible for the safety and supervision of more than 600 employees at the airline’s largest hub station and 109 out-stations. Prior to Mesaba Air, Bowers served as the Vice President of Station Operations and Customer Service at Frontier Airlines responsible for providing leadership and vision to over 1,700 employees and 2,000 service providers. In this role he ensured compliance to all governmental and company policies and procedures and served as the key liaison with the FAA and TSA. Prior to Frontier, Mr. Bowers served as Regional Director of Customer Service for Seattle-based Horizon Air, overseeing the operations and safety standards of 36 stations and 700 employees in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. During this time Mr. Bowers was highly involved in developing Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines emergency response plans, station security audits, and airport security screening. Mr. Bowers developed and implemented an innovative emergency response process in 1987 which is now the common format used for all airlines.
Mr. Bowers earned his Bachelor’s Degree with a specialty in human resource management from Central Washington University and his Executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington. Mr. Bowers also was a Certified Outdoor Emergency Care Provider for 7 years.
As personable and dynamic public speaker, Mr. Bowers is often called upon to speak internationally on a broad range of safety related topics and has published over 50 articles on travel safety in abroad range of publications.
