Thirty years of leadership.
At Afterburner, it’s our mission to build a movement of Flawless Leaders. Since 1996, fighter pilots have taught leaders to plan, brief, execute, and debrief as they do to achieve their incredible mission success rate. Day in, day out, fighter pilots across the planet apply an iterative mindset and methods to craft a culture of excellence, growth, and consistent success. We exist to bring the world of the fighter pilot into yours.
Founded 1996. Still flying
Afterburner℠ was founded in 1996 by James D. “Murph” Murphy, a U.S. Air Force F-15 instructor pilot who saw that the system that trained thousands of fighter pilots and kept fighter squadrons operating at peak performance could make a corporate team sharper on Monday morning. He brought the cycle out of the cockpit intact: Plan, Brief, Execute, Debrief.
Thirty years on, the system has not changed. The proof has only compounded. In 2011, head coach Tom Coughlin brought the debrief discipline to the New York Giants, with Murphy on the ground teaching it, through the season that ended in a Super Bowl XLVI victory. Eleven conference-leading NFL teams adopted the same practice afterward. The pattern repeated in business: Woolworths took a planning session with eight senior executives to 1,200 staff across eight departments and a return north of 1,000%; Specsavers turned a 2.5% annual sales decline into a $6 million increase in six weeks. The method has now reached 2.2 million leaders across 3,500+ organizations, including 85% of the Fortune 500.
Afterburner elevated that cycle into a full operating system, the Three Ms: Mindset, Method, Moments. The premise is plain. You do not have to be perfect to be flawless. Commit completely to what you control, stay adaptive to what you cannot, and debrief every outcome so you do it again better tomorrow.
Today Afterburner is led by Rob “Rocko” Ceravolo, a U.S. Navy fighter pilot and TOPGUN graduate who founded Tropic Ocean Airways with one airplane and one employee and grew it into the world’s largest amphibious airline. He ran the system in a cockpit, then in a company, before leading the company that teaches it.
Most importantly, Afterburner is the custodian of the fighter pilot ethos, culture, and ways of working, and our team of exceptional leaders has demonstrated their impact across thousands of organizations from all corners of the globe over three decades.
Five principles. Every mission.
These five principles run through every Afterburner engagement, on stage and in your world, in business, professional sporting teams, or a non-profit.
Meet the pilots who deliver them
Nameless and Rankless.
Rank stays at the door. In the debrief, the mission outranks the title, and the most senior person in the room owns their mistakes first.
Integrity.
We do what we say, especially when no one is watching. Consistency is the proof, not the promise.
Better Tomorrow.
Every debrief produces one thing the next mission does differently. Better is not a destination. It’s what happens every day.
Wisdom Over Information.
Data tells you what happened. The debrief tells you why. We build the judgment to act on what you already know, instead of the urge to collect more.
Awareness Over Existence.
We lead alert, present, and intentional. Situational awareness is the entry price, not the achievement.
How We Operate
Two ways in.
One methodology
Some teams come to Afterburner for a single event. Others come to build leadership capability across a full program. Both run on the same system, the same pilots, and the same principles. Where you start depends on what you need.
Afterburner Events
Eighty-five percent of the Fortune 500 has worked with Afterburner. Keynotes, simulations, and workshops, delivered at venues large and small, all tailored to the needs of the organizations we partner with. If it’s the wow factor wrapping meaning change you’re seeking, we’ve refined our high-impact programs to drive the belief in your team that anything is possible.
Browse the events catalogFlawless Leadership Programs
Multi-week programs and executive coaching built on the Three Ms: Mindset, Method, Moments. For the L&D leader rolling out capability across executive leadership teams, or the operations team leading a team in the field. Our development pathways are delivered within peer groups, one-on-one coaching, and the self-paced Flawless Leadership Leaderpass.
See the programs catalogWhere you fit
Five common ways teams arrive at Afterburner. Find yourself in one of these and the route gets clearer.
If you’re an Event Architect
You need a credible, high-energy speaker or experience that lands with a senior audience without coming off as cheesy. The Afterburner events catalog is built for exactly that. Keynotes scale to any crowd. The Top Gun Experience℠ immerses leaders in high-stakes mission planning, and our Lego challenge demonstrates the power of debriefing as your teams see what a little better tomorrow looks like in action.
If you’re a Performance Executive
Results matter to you, as do your people. You are constantly closing the gap between strategy and execution, and the last time you invested in leadership training, nothing changed. Afterburner brings the impact you need to drive a genuine shift in behavior: experiential events instill belief and momentum; Flawless Leadership programs develop the habits that transform high-effort, low-reward activity into high-velocity, high-impact results. Most C-suite engagements open with a keynote or workshop and grow into a program.
If you’re a Speaker Bureau
You need turnkey collateral and guaranteed impact for a client shortlist, clear pricing, and a speaker you can recommend without the risk of a keynote falling flat. The Speaker Bureau Portal houses our showreels, one-pagers, bios, and headshots to ensure you have a frictionless Afterburner experience.
If you’re a Capability Builder
You are designing leadership development pathways that must demonstrate behavior change among your leaders. Flawless Leadership programs are built for scaled rollout: multi-session, cohort-based, with pre- and post-measurement through the Flawless Leadership Assessment. The Three Ms gives your leaders a shared mental model, language and execution engine to power results across the business.
If you’re an Operator
You are running a team and you need something you can use Monday morning, not next quarter. Flawless Execution℠ (FLEX) is the Plan, Brief, Execute, Debrief cycle, run on what you’re doing in the business now, to improve engagement and grow your team into a high-performing unit. ORCA debriefs (Objective, Result, Cause, Action). Wingman accountability. Most operators start with the Assessment and move into coaching.
Who runs the room
Afterburner is led and delivered by former military aviators and operators. Every speaker on the team has flown the missions they teach, and lived the leadership model they coach in and out of the cockpit.
Rob “Rocko” Ceravolo
CEO · Speaker
Rocko flew fighters for the U.S. Navy for fourteen years, a TOPGUN graduate with combat deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He founded Tropic Ocean Airways with one airplane and one employee and grew it into the world’s largest amphibious airline. He became CEO of Afterburner in 2026.
More on Rocko
Jeff “Ish” Beruan
Head of Business
Jeff “Ish” Beruan is Head of Business at Afterburner, responsible for the systems and reporting that connect sales, marketing, and delivery into one operating picture. He works directly with the CEO and the Lead pilots on go-to-market strategy, content production, and the data infrastructure underneath every booking.
More on Jeff “Ish” Beruan
Lauren “Lulu” McWilliams
Partner Relationships
Lauren “Lulu” McWilliams owns partner relationships at Afterburner, coordinating the speakers, facilitators, and creative collaborators behind every keynote and program. She also maintains the editorial backbone underneath that work, including the manuscript and case study archive that feeds Afterburner’s published material.
More on Lauren “Lulu” McWilliams
Sarah “Halo” Halloran
Chief Marketing Officer
As Chief Marketing Officer, Sarah Halloran owns the Afterburner brand: the voice, the visual standard, and the consistency that runs across keynotes, programs, and the website. She leads the marketing team, sets the bar every page and campaign must clear before it publishes, and partners directly with CEO Rob “Rocko” Ceravolo.
More on Sarah “Halo” Halloran
Dwayne “Spike” Booker
Lead Speaker
Dwayne “Spike” Booker is a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, a Morehouse College physics graduate, and Afterburner’s lead facilitator. He flew with the 335th Fighter Squadron on Operation Inherent Resolve and continues to serve in the Florida Air National Guard.
More on Dwayne “Spike” Booker
Don “Stryker” Haley
Lead Speaker
Don “Stryker” Haley is a retired US Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot with 3,600 flight hours and 700 operational hours. He served as Liaison to the DARPA Advanced Capabilities Office and supported analyses informing over $10B in Department of Defense investment decisions.
More on Don “Stryker” Haley
Bobbi “Flash” Doorenbos
Lead Speaker
Bobbi “Flash” Doorenbos is a former US Air Force F-16 fighter pilot and one of the first women to fly fighter aircraft, with over 1,300 hours in the F-16 and MQ-1. She joined Afterburner in 2004, the longest tenure on the roster, and remains an active commercial airline pilot.
More on Bobbi “Flash” Doorenbos
Zach “Easi” Manning
Lead Speaker
Zach “Easi” Manning is a US Air Force F-16 fighter pilot with over 20 years of experience as an Instructor and Evaluator. He graduated at the top of both his F-16 training class and his international business graduate school class.
More on Zach “Easi” ManningWhat clients say
If you were to ask me to rate my experience on a scale of 1-10, I’d give you a 100.
I wish he had you guys here two years ago, you guys have made an incredible impact.
Thirty years of
independent recognition
Forbes Small Giants
Hall of Fame
Inducted into the Forbes Small Giants Hall of Fame for sustained excellence over multiple years.
5× Inc 5000
Five-time honoree on the Inc 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies.
100% Veteran Owned
Every pilot on the Afterburner team served their country. The ownership reflects that.
Read the methodology
Flawless Leadership
An Afterburner book
The Perfect Book for the Imperfect Leader
Early 2027
The Afterburner Advantage
An Afterburner book
How a small team of fighter pilots transformed 3,500 companies and helped an NFL team win the Super Bowl.
Frequently asked questions
What does Afterburner do?
Fighter pilot based leadership development applies the methods of military aviators to improve corporate team performance. Afterburner is a company that has provided keynotes, team-building events, and workshops led by former fighter pilots since 1996. The training is based on the Plan, Brief, Execute, and Debrief cycle used by fighter squadrons.
What kind of events does Afterburner run?
Corporate events featuring fighter pilot speakers include keynotes, team-building experiences, and workshops. Afterburner offers keynotes from 30 to 90 minutes for any audience size and an interactive team event called the Top Gun Experience for 5 to 5,000 participants. All events are delivered by former military aviators to teach high-performance methods.
Who are Afterburner’s speakers?
Fighter pilot keynote speakers are former military aviators with extensive experience in high-stakes environments. Afterburner’s speakers have flown aircraft such as the F/A-18, F-16, and F-15E. For example, CEO Rob “Rocko” Ceravolo is a U.S. Navy fighter pilot and TOPGUN graduate.
What is the best team-building event for a large group?
The Top Gun Experience is an interactive team-building event suitable for large corporate groups, scaling from 5 to 5,000 people. In this event, teams make decisions under pressure and learn from a structured debrief led by former fighter pilots. Afterburner has delivered this program to Fortune 500 companies and professional sports teams.
How long is an Afterburner keynote, and how big can the audience be?
Fighter pilot keynotes run from 30 to 90 minutes and can be scaled for any audience size, from a small leadership team to a full conference. Each Afterburner keynote is delivered by a former fighter pilot. The content is customized to the specific event theme.
Can Afterburner speakers present virtually?
Yes, fighter pilot speakers are available for virtual keynotes and events designed for remote or hybrid audiences. Afterburner delivers programs in person at any venue worldwide or virtually. The specific format, length, and audience size are determined during a scoping call.
How much does an Afterburner event or keynote cost?
The cost to hire a fighter pilot for a keynote speech depends on the event format, audience size, and specific program. Afterburner provides a proposal with clear pricing after a 20-minute scoping call. This call matches the right speaker and format to your event needs.
How do I book Afterburner for an event?
The process for booking a military pilot for a corporate event starts with a 20-minute scoping call. During this call, Afterburner discusses your event, audience, and goals to match you with the right speaker and format. A proposal is then provided for the keynote, team-building event, or workshop.
Who has Afterburner worked with?
Companies across many sectors, including 85 percent of the Fortune 500, use fighter pilot leadership training. Since 1996, Afterburner has trained 2.2 million leaders in organizations ranging from large corporations to professional sports teams. The training is designed for any team looking to improve execution and accountability.
What makes a fighter pilot keynote different from a motivational speaker?
A fighter pilot keynote provides a team with a reusable method, whereas a typical motivational speech often focuses on temporary inspiration. Afterburner speakers teach the Plan, Brief, Execute, Debrief cycle used in military aviation. This framework helps translate the energy of an event into lasting habits for the team.
Can Afterburner customize an event for our industry or theme?
Yes, keynotes and events led by former military aviators can be customized for a specific industry, audience, or theme. Afterburner tailors each engagement for events like leadership offsites, sales kickoffs, or company-wide conferences. The examples and framing are built around your team’s specific needs.
What is Flawless Leadership?
The leadership framework taught by former fighter pilots is called Flawless Leadership. This system is built on the Three Ms: Mindset, Method, and Moments, and it uses the Plan, Brief, Execute, Debrief cycle from military aviation. It is also the title of Afterburner’s forthcoming book, Flawless Leadership: The Perfect Book for the Imperfect Leader, releasing early 2027.
Chat to a Pilot
Skip the gauntlet. Twenty minutes with someone who has flown the missions and run the rooms. We will scope an event, a program, or both.