Vernice 'FlyGirl' Armour
Vernice 'FlyGirl' Armour is America's first Black female combat pilot, a former Marine, and an expert on leadership diversity and breakthrough performance.
Background & Expertise
Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour brings unparalleled insights on leadership diversity and breakthrough performance as America’s first Black female combat pilot. Her journey from police officer to United States Marine Corps aviator to successful entrepreneur provides a powerful template for overcoming barriers and creating transformative change. Armour’s military service includes two tours in Iraq, where she flew 129 combat missions and received numerous commendations for her exemplary service.
Armour’s expertise in diversity and leadership stems from her personal experience breaking multiple barriers in traditionally homogeneous environments. Beyond her military accomplishments, she founded VAI Consulting and Training, where she has worked with organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to governmental agencies on creating cultures where diversity powers innovation and operational excellence. This combination of frontline combat leadership and organizational consulting gives her distinctive perspective on inclusion as a performance multiplier rather than simply a moral imperative.
Signature Concepts & Methodologies
Breakthrough Mentality
Armour’s methodology for overcoming internal and external barriers through specific mindset shifts and tactical execution strategies.
Gutsy Leadership Framework
Her approach to courageous decision-making in environments with incomplete information and significant consequences.
Zero to Breakthrough System
Armour’s seven-step process for achieving seemingly impossible goals through disciplined execution and resilience.
Permission to Engage
Her framework for creating inclusive environments where diverse team members fully contribute their unique perspectives and capabilities.
Situational Awareness Matrix
Armour’s methodology for developing comprehensive understanding of operational contexts to drive better decision-making.
Books & Thought Leadership
- Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter - Her acclaimed book on achieving breakthrough performance.
- The Gutsy Leader’s Guide: Empowering Your Team for Breakthrough Results - Her upcoming leadership manual.
- Featured in numerous documentaries and media profiles about military leadership and diversity pioneers.
- Regular contributor to publications on leadership, high-performance teams, and organizational transformation.
- Created the “FlyGirl Foundation” supporting STEM education initiatives for underrepresented youth.
Speaking Style & Audience Experience
Armour delivers presentations with military precision, dynamic energy, and authentic passion that electrifies audiences. Her speaking style combines the discipline of military briefings with engaging storytelling, creating high-impact sessions that drive both inspiration and actionable takeaways. She excels at translating combat leadership principles into business-relevant frameworks, making complex concepts accessible through powerful aviation and military metaphors.
What distinguishes Armour’s keynotes is her ability to connect operational excellence with diversity and inclusion—demonstrating how homogeneous thinking creates dangerous blind spots in high-stakes environments. She creates memorable moments through riveting combat stories that illustrate universal leadership principles, often using her experiences in the cockpit to illuminate workplace dynamics. Attendees consistently report implementing her breakthrough methodologies in their professional and personal challenges, with many organizations adopting her frameworks for leadership development programs.
Ideal Audiences & Event Types
- Corporate leadership teams and executive retreats
- Diversity and inclusion initiatives in male-dominated industries
- Military and law enforcement organizations
- Women in leadership conferences
- Industries requiring high reliability and operational excellence
- Organizations navigating significant change or disruption
Recent Focus Areas
- Building inclusive leadership cultures in technical and operational environments
- Developing high-performance teams through diversity of thought and experience
- Creating organizational resilience through adaptive leadership approaches
- Implementing decision-making frameworks for high-stakes environments
- Advancing opportunities for women and minorities in traditionally homogeneous fields
