Fighter pilots fly and fight in a rapidly changing, complex environment where the margin between victory and loss is razor-thin. In a situation where people's lives are at stake, a squadron must take every step to stay ahead of the competition. Similarly, in business, where we risk our lives every day, the key to staying ahead of the competition and a changing environment is a culture of honest review of today's results and innovating ahead of tomorrow's threats. The US Air Force, Navy and Marines are built on a foundation that mandates execution of the current plan, while strongly encouraging its troops to innovate and evolve ahead of the competition. This culture of innovation keeps our armed forces at the cutting edge of performance and enables us to develop new technology and tactics to maintain our position as the superior air power in the world. The same culture of innovation can be used by businesses that are striving to innovate in their own rapidly changing environments.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

On the morning of September 11, 2001 Major Anthony “AB” Bourke found himself stuck at the Burlington, Vermont Airport 3,000 miles from his home and his F-16 Fighter Squadron in Fresno, CA. In this riveting story you will hear how Major Bourke volunteered to help a local F-16 Squadron in Burlington and become one of the first pilots to fly homeland defense missions over New York City. You will also learn how AB reacted when he learned that his mission was now to shoot down large commercial airliners, over his own country, filled with US citizens. Bourke flew homeland defense missions for a week over NYC and then for another 9 months over the skies of California when he returned to his home squadron. His message is one of courage, discipline and overcoming one’s fears to keep America safe in one of darkest times in our great country’s history.