Anthony “AB” Bourke

Anthony “AB” Bourke is a highly experienced F-16 fighter pilot who has flown tactical missions in countries all over the world. He has accumulated more than 2,700 hours of flight time in numerous high performance aircraft and was one of the first pilots to fly his F-16 over New York City in the homeland defense efforts on September 11th.

Following his impressive military career, “AB” took the tools and techniques that made him one of our nation’s premier fighter pilots and applied those to the competitive world of business. He ascended early in his career to become the top producing mortgage banker in the Western US for a prominent lending institution. His success in the mortgage industry led to a new opportunity at a California based start-up company where his team of 40 professionals dramatically grew revenue from $500,000 to $65M in three years.

Following these two endeavors, “AB” partnered with two other fighter pilots to form Afterburner Inc., a global management training company. “AB” served as Afterburner’s CEO & President where for over a decade he combined his love of business with his passion for tactical aviation. Under Bourke’s leadership, Afterburner grew into a best-in-class training company and 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 traveled 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.”

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 messaging 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.

I anticipate that the concept of “debrief” will be widely adopted throughout Grocery Outlet. I think I mentioned to you before that we hold this meeting twice a year, and it is very rare for a speaker to receive a standing ovation. You had every one of our 300 operators on their feet at the end of your presentation which is a testament to you and your subject matter. We look forward to having you back again in the future and please feel free to use me as a reference for other companies who are considering working with you. — MacGregor Read, Co-CEO Grocery Outlet Inc.

…most noticeable for the audience was the professional care and attention to detail that you put into the front end planning for the presentations and the customization of the slide program to reflect our business focus and needs. — Jim Carter, Syncrude Canada Ltd.

The comments from sales, development and management, all echoed the same message, “this training was the best training we have ever had.” We have come to realize that our biggest weakness is the lack of debriefing, and that if we exercise this principle we can improve our future missions.” — Steve Mack, Fast-Tax

Thanks again for providing us a World Class Speech at our PCS Annual Conference. Your message was a perfect fit for our group and our theme. Most importantly, the term “Debrief” is the new buzzword at Russell as we continue to “Come Together” and focus on always doing the right thing for our clients, our associates and our investors. I commend you on your hard work up front, learning our business and our language. You seamlessly wove our themes and verbiage into your presentation and this was noted by all who attended.” — Michael Winnick, Russell Investments