Anthony Bourke

Former F-16 Fighter Pilot, Anthony Bourke is a popular conference peaker on peak performance, leadership, teamwork, communication & sales.

Anthony "AB" Bourke is a highly experienced F-16 fighter pilot who has flown tactical missions around the world, accumulating more than 3000 hours of flight time. He was one of the first pilots to fly an F-16 in homeland defense efforts over New York City post-9/11. Following his impressive military career, Bourke applied the tools and techniques that made him a premier fighter pilot to the competitive world of business. Today, he delivers custom, high-impact keynote presentations that tackle some of today’s most pertinent business issues.

In addition to rising to the top of the aviation community, Bourke has built a business career on sales excellence. He was a top producing mortgage banker for a prominent lending institution, before joining a California-based startup company where he led a team of 40 professionals, growing revenue from $500,000 to $65 million in just three years.

Following this, Bourke partnered with two other fighter pilots to form Afterburner Inc., a global management training company. He served as Afterburner’s CEO and president for over a decade, combining is love of business with his passion for tactical aviation. Under Bourke’s leadership, Afterburner grew into a best-in-class training company that was twice named one of Inc. Magazine’s 500 fastest growing companies.

As CEO & Founder of Mach 2 Consulting, Bourke brings his tactical knowledge and vast business experience to the forefront of the management training world. “AB” has travelled the globe sharing his message of peak performance with over 50,000 people in nine different countries, and is currently working on a book titled “The Art of The Debrief.”

Anthony Bourke's 6 Most Popular Speaking Presentations:

Executing at Mach 2 (45-60 minutes)

There are many companies with great people and great strategies in the business world today. Ultimately the difference between the winners and the “also rans” comes down to Execution. During this interactive, multi-media keynote speech, AB will share the tools that fighter squadrons use to make sure that we are aligned, flying in formation and executing at the highest level every single time we fly. This highly motivating and inspiring keynote will equip your team with simple actionable tools that they can apply the very next day to improve execution and drive better results as individuals and as a team. If your company is pursuing a path of Executional Excellence, this session will reinforce your message and provide a fresh perspective on why Execution truly matters in every business.

Communicating at Mach 2 (45 – 60 minutes)

A high impact Keynote focusing on how the world’s most successful enterprises – where results truly matter — achieve peak performance by creating a culture of honest and open feedback. At the conclusion of this 45-60 minute multi-media presentation, your team will walk out the door with a clear understanding of the potential power of open feedback. They will also learn how a “feedback gap” can cripple an organization. Finally, they will see a clear path on how you can make open feedback an integral part of your culture. 

Leading at Mach 2 (45-60 minutes)

All great leaders have a system for driving peak performance. This hard-charging, high-impact keynote offers your leaders the straightforward, critical tools that U.S. fighter pilots employ to lead their wingmen into the demanding environment of aerial combat. Learn how the best fighter squadrons and the best businesses in the world hire future leaders, how they then properly train those individuals, and continually promote a process of continuous improvement to stay one step ahead of the competition. 

Selling at Mach 2 (45- 60 minutes)

In addition to rising to the top of the aviation community, “AB” has built a business career on sales excellence. After achieving accolades as “Top Producer in the Western US” for a prominent lending institution, “AB” led a team of 40 professionals to grow revenue at a California based start-up company from $500,000 to $65M in just three years. A quintessential sales professional, “AB” will teach your people that just like fighter pilots, “great sales people are made… not born.” He draws comprehensive parallels between what makes great fighter pilots and what makes great sales people. For organizations looking to develop a sales team of “Top Guns,” this dynamic, interactive speech is a must!

Innovating at Mach 2 (45- 60 minutes)

In today’s rapidly changing world companies and their people must constantly innovate to stay ahead of the competition. While many people in business think only of Tech Entrepreneurs as the leading innovators of our day, there is no doubt that fighter pilots are constantly innovating to survive and thrive in the world of aerial combat. As a former fighter pilot and serial entrepreneur, AB has applied the tools that fighter pilots use to stay ahead of the competition to the world of business. In this speech, AB will share these secrets and show your audience what it takes to be the best innovators both in combat and in their industry.

Staying Safe at Mach 2 (45- 60 minutes)

Safety is the key to every successful mission for a fighter pilot. No matter how fast they fly, or how accurate their bombing runs, none of it matters if they don’t come home. Learn how the best fighter squadrons in the world train their people to execute the mission at the highest level every day, while keeping “safety first” top of mind. In this high-impact keynote, AB explains how to build a culture of safety without compromising the mission. He will also paint a vivid picture of how to identify the series of events that can lead to an accident while offering attendees the critical tools that U.S. fighter pilots employ every day to keep their wingmen safe in the high stakes environment of aerial combat.