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Anthony "AB" Bourke

Fighter Pilot Speaker, Serial Entrepreneur, and Proven Business Leader

Anthony “AB” Bourke is an experienced F-16 fighter pilot, successful entrepreneur, and recognized keynote speaker who draws on decades of military and business leadership to help organizations build cultures of continuous improvement through The Fighter Pilot Debrief, a proven framework that helps teams accelerate learning and dramatically improve performance.

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Bio

On September 11, 2001, Anthony "AB" Bourke found himself flying one of the most consequential missions of his career—helping defend the skies over New York City as one of the first U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter pilots called into homeland defense. In the hours and days that followed, one lesson became unmistakably clear: exceptional performance under pressure doesn't happen by accident. It is the result of disciplined preparation, precise execution, and—most importantly—a relentless commitment to learning after every mission.

That lesson has defined every chapter of AB's career.

Today, AB is an internationally recognized keynote speaker who helps organizations build cultures of continuous improvement through one of the military's most powerful performance practices: The Fighter Pilot Debrief. His message is simple but transformative:

Elite organizations don't outperform because they make fewer mistakes—they outperform because they learn faster than everyone else.

AB has spent his career proving that principle.

As an Air Force fighter pilot, he flew tactical missions around the world and logged more than 3,000 hours in high-performance aircraft. After leaving the military, he became the top-producing mortgage banker in the western United States before helping a California startup grow annual revenue from $500,000 to more than $65 million in just three years.

He later started Afterburner Seminars, pioneering the application of fighter pilot leadership principles to business. As President and CEO, he helped build the company into one of the world's premier leadership development firms, twice earning recognition on Inc. magazine's list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in America.

Today, through Mach 2 Consulting, AB has inspired more than one million people worldwide. His keynote presentations blend unforgettable stories with practical leadership strategies that help organizations strengthen communication, improve execution, accelerate learning, and build teams that consistently perform at their highest level.

Whether speaking to Fortune 500 companies, healthcare systems, financial institutions, manufacturers, sales organizations, or government agencies, AB demonstrates that sustained excellence isn't achieved by working harder. It is achieved by building a system where people continuously learn, adapt, and improve.

Recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference, AB leaves audiences with more than inspiration. He equips leaders with a practical framework for creating organizations where feedback fuels growth, debriefs accelerate learning, and continuous improvement becomes a lasting competitive advantage.

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Keynotes

Featured Keynote

Keynote Speech on Sales: “Selling at Mach 2”

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 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!

Keynote Speech on Safety: “Staying Safe at Mach 2”

Keynote Speech on Safety: “Staying Safe at Mach 2”

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 will 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.
Keynote Speech on Innovation: “Innovating at Mach 2”

Keynote Speech on Innovation: “Innovating at Mach 2”

n today’s rapidly changing world companies and their people must constantly innovate to stay ahead of the competition. 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.
Keynote Speech on Leadership: “Leading at Mach 2”

Keynote Speech on Leadership: “Leading at Mach 2”

All great leaders have a system for driving peak performance. This hard-charging, high-impact keynote details 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.
Keynote Speech on Execution: “Executing at Mach 2”

Keynote Speech on Execution: “Executing at Mach 2”

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, your team will walk out the door with a clear understanding of the potential power of open feedback and how you can make open feedback an integral part of your culture.
Keynote Speech on Execution: “Communicating at Mach 2”

Keynote Speech on Execution: “Communicating at Mach 2”

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.

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Business Growth Strategies & Trends Trending
Communication
Entrepreneurs

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Ross man recalls New York air patrol mission after 9/11

AB Bourke talks about his mission to patrol the air in NYC and then other potential terror targets after 9/11.

Good afternoon, AB. I wanted to write you to let you know how pleased we were with your participation at our 26th Annual Conference. As I mentioned before, we wanted to hire you for years, and I'm kicking myself for not having done it back in 2010. First, your programs were the #1-ranked item on our post-conference surveys. Our franchises noted that you gave them real, street-level tools that they can implement immediately. Specifically, your information on debriefing was a real hit that will have immediate impact on their businesses. Your breakout session on decluttering sent these guys home focused on the real, needle-moving activities that have a true impact on their company. At the home office, we've already built debriefs into our regular operations, and we will continue to use the information you provided to improve upon our company. I truly look forward to working with you again. Once we get through our season, I look forward to reconnecting on an ongoing engagement. Thank you again for THE BEST KEYNOTE WE'VE HAD IN OUR HISTORY. Kindest Regards.

Brandon Stephens, The Decor Group, Inc., President

AB, Truly, I enjoyed your presentation. I might even say you are my favorite keynote speaker to date, maybe it's the military thing, but you certainly had my attention the whole time. Not to mention you seem to be a pretty down to earth guy… I've recapped your presentation about 5 times today to my staff, again you are one of my favorites! I appreciate you addressing our industry and thank for your time. Cheers my friend! Kind Regards.

David R. Beckham, Security Builders Supply, AHC, FDAI Vice President & General Manager

AB, I just wanted to thank you for speaking at our Sola Summit and let you know what a pleasure it was to meet you. Your ability to weave in business and leadership lessons, alongside your amazing stories, created a captivating experience that our owners loved. I think everyone left feeling inspired, entertained, and that they'd learned something new. We even hosted our own mini-debrief sessions with our internal team after Summit so THANK YOU. Have a wonderful year. We look forward to working together again in the future.

Rachel Vaughn, Sola Salons, Vice President of Marketing

AB, I think I can speak for all of us when I say your message landed with the group! I had people come to me all through the following 2 days with messages of how they were energized by your words and even more exciting for me – they all felt like they could immediately improve their work by applying your brief/debrief methodology! We've all been to a meeting like that and heard a message that was entertaining but not that impactful – you managed to deliver on both. Impressive. Have a great weekend!

Rob Sproull, American Sugar Refining, Senior VP - Sales & Marketing & New Prod Dev

Thank you AB, you were engaging and your messaging with storytelling was effective and powerful. And also thank you for what you have done for all of us here in this country.

Steve Ambrose, DTE Energy, Vice President, CIO

AB, You hit it out of the park. Great job, team loved it as did I. It was a fairly long night for us but a great night. All my best.

Tim Corcoran, Vice President, WW Sales

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Anthony "AB" Bourke

Bio

Keynotes

Keynote Speech on Sales: “Selling at Mach 2”

Topics

Thank you AB, you were engaging and your messaging with storytelling was effective and powerful. And also thank you for what you have done for all of us here in this country.

AB, You hit it out of the park. Great job, team loved it as did I. It was a fairly long night for us but a great night. All my best.

Similar Speakers

Coach Micheal Burt

Camilo Cruz

Dr. Rick Goodman

Ron Johnson

Let's find your perfect speaker!

Explore

Quick Links

Keep Up To Date

Anthony "AB" Bourke

Bio

Keynotes

Keynote Speech on Sales: “Selling at Mach 2”

Keynote Speech on Safety: “Staying Safe at Mach 2”

Keynote Speech on Innovation: “Innovating at Mach 2”

Keynote Speech on Leadership: “Leading at Mach 2”

Keynote Speech on Execution: “Executing at Mach 2”

Keynote Speech on Execution: “Communicating at Mach 2”

Topics

Thank you AB, you were engaging and your messaging with storytelling was effective and powerful. And also thank you for what you have done for all of us here in this country.

AB, You hit it out of the park. Great job, team loved it as did I. It was a fairly long night for us but a great night. All my best.

Similar Speakers

Coach Micheal Burt

Camilo Cruz

Dr. Rick Goodman

Ron Johnson

Let's find your perfect speaker!

Explore

Quick Links

Keep Up To Date