In the minutes following the 9/11 attacks, Anthony Bourke was stranded in Burlington, VT, when he noticed the airport's adjacent F16 squadron. "I volunteered immediately," says the retired fighter pilot. Soon, he was streaking above New York City in an F16, "flying homeland defense."
Today, Anthony’s innate go-go attitude and fighter pilot standards inform Mach 2 Consulting, the Park City-based firm he founded. A favorite recommendation is the corporate debrief, adopted from his flight training. "No pilot flies a perfect mission, so we always do a no-ego debrief," he says. "It's a powerful tool for doing better next time."
Born in Palo Alto and growing up skiing in Squaw Valley with a national junior ski champ mom and a United Airlines pilot dad, Anthony was born to soar. Wasatch Back legend Alf Engen coached his mom, "so we skied Alta all the time." Anthony dreamed of living nearby and skiing while flying Delta airliners and Hill AFB's F-16s. Completing active service years later, though, "it turns out the airlines weren't dreaming of me," he laughs. Characteristically, he quickly adjusted, founding a string of successful companies from mortgage banking to global management, culminating in Mach 2, where he is a sought-after speaker and a go-to national media expert on breaking aviation stories. "I eventually did get a job with United," he avers, "but my true passion is starting great businesses." Ventures include "Hale Mary Wines," co-founded with wife Mary in 2003, providing Utah restaurants and country clubs with artisanal Russian River Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The couple rediscovered Park City "as I got older and balder," he laughs. "I still love Alta and Snowbird, but Park City has two fantastic ski hills and no drive through Cottonwood Canyon." Two of their adult children are also adopted Parkites, "and we've added a first grandchild to future PC rippers," he smiles.
This avid flier, golfer, water and downhill skier "avoids complacency at all costs" while living gratefully. "We are lucky to live here, and I hope we continue working to balance tourism, our small-town vibe and world-class skiing."