While most companies build strategies through forecasts and slide decks, Brian Byrne builds them through competition, using business wargaming to pressure test every move before it hits the market.

Hosted by David Cyrus, this episode features Brian, founder and CEO of Aviador Group, who has helped leadership teams in more than 60 countries stress test strategy, uncover blind spots, and make faster, clearer decisions under uncertainty. He has served as an Investment Committee Member at Assembler Growth Capital and previously held executive roles at Kraft Foods, Citibank, and MetLife, including Vice President and Director of Marketing positions, before founding Aviador in 2000. He has also been a Sessional Professor at York University, teaching advanced strategy and marketing leadership.

His “war room” approach, part simulation and part rehearsal, has been used by Fortune 500s, private equity firms, and top-tier consultancies to help leaders think more strategically under pressure.

In this conversation, David Cyrus and Brian Byrne explore:

• Why traditional planning fails under real-world volatility

• The mindset behind business wargaming and scenario planning

• Heritage Heresy: how brands lose trust when they abandon their identity

• Fierce activation: the McDonald’s vs. Starbucks case study

• HI + AI: why human intelligence paired with artificial intelligence outperforms both alone

• What leaders can learn from history’s recurring cycles of disruption

Even with David’s track largely lost (thanks, Riverside), Brian’s insights stand on their own — a sharp, masterclass-style conversation in strategic clarity and brand leadership.

🎧 Follow The Attainment Podcast for conversations on clarity, alignment, and strategy in a volatile world.

Tags / Keywords:

Strategy, Brand Strategy, Competitive Advantage, Wargaming, Leadership, Marketing, Scenario Planning, AI, Business Frameworks, Assembler Growth Capital, York University, Kraft Foods, Citibank, MetLife, Attainment Podcast, David Cyrus, Brian Byrne