Tony Vallejo – Ing (Electrical), MA (Bus Organisation) MA (Economy and Business Administration)

Tony heads FCP's practice in South America and is based in Buenos Aires, his native city. He has a wide business management background in a range of technical and non technical sectors, his first experience of railways coming after graduating when as a Field Project Manager for AEG Telefunken he was responsible for installing the traction power system for the Urquiza Railways mass transit line between Chacarita and Campo de Mayo, Buenos Aires. In 1972 he was appointed Engineering Manager with the Black Clawson and Company in which role he was responsible for complete project design, equipment installation, start-up and after-sales service on cellulose, paper and conversion equipment. Assignments beyond his native Argentina were in Britain, USA, Brazil, and Mexico. Three years later he became the Technical and Commercial Manager of DEC SA – Vago Vallejo Asociados where in addition to providing his technical expertise in the selection of drive equipment for steel mills, painting and galvanizing lines, and paper mills he was responsible for complete customer and product support, training and maintenance programs.

In 1981 Tony joined the General Electric Technical Services Compant where he held a number of senior technical posts including that of Resident Electrical Engineer before being appointed to the post of Commercial Director of INGESA, the Argentine based licencee of General Electric. He had a remit to increase the company's market share and develop export markets which included capturing orders for locomotive parts and sub assemblies which were shipped to the USA, India and Pakistan. There followed associate directorships and advisory roles with several companies in the early 1990s, including Lorenzi y Asociados SA, Modcomp and Movicom before he was appointed Manager, Marketing & Sales for Igarreta, a dealer, service supplier, and overhauler of Ford, Scania and Toyota commercial vehicles and heavy trucks.

In 1997 Tony moved into the rail sector with Adtranz (Daimler Chrysler Rail Systems) as Customer Services  then Key Account Manager and finally Marketing & Sales Director with a remit to develop the company's sales in South America. During this period he was an Executive Director for the Arco del Atlantico main line railway project linking Plaza Constitución Buenos Aires with Mar del Plata. Tony became an independent consultant in 2001 joining First Class Partnerships in 2004. A Spanish speaker, Tony also speaks English, Portuguese and Italian.