Shaun Wane is a decorated former rugby league player – but is perhaps best-known for his stint as head coach at Wigan Warriors.
At Wigan he was responsible for the development of world-class athletes, shaping them into integral parts of a high-performance team and enabling them to perfect their skills and be the absolute best in their role.
And, with three Super League Grand Final victories and one Challenge Cup to his name, it certainly worked.
Following his resignation from Wigan, Wane spent some time as a high performance consultant at Scotland Rugby Union, before being named head coach of England Rugby League.
In January, after six years in the role, he left the England setup and is now a sought-after keynote speaker and business consultant.
Wane, who was included in our 2026 Northern Leaders list this week, has spoken candidly about his difficult childhood – and how those experiences shaped his approach to leadership and creating a winning mentality in business.
He will headline BusinessCloud’s FUEL Manchester event on Wednesday 28th October. You can sign up for free at the link below.
Register for breakfast panel & networking
“I’ve done hundreds of talks. I love doing them. There’s nothing better than seeing a room shift when a message lands,” Wane wrote on LinkedIn recently.
“But it’s what happens next which is the key part. It comes down to what’s in place when everyone goes back to work on Monday.
“The best teams I coached didn’t win because of one big speech. They won because of standards held every single day.
“So I’ve spent the last 12 months taking 40 years of coaching and turning it into something that works after the talk. Something you don’t just listen to. Something you live by.
“I’m excited to share it very soon.”
FUEL Manchester is sponsored by GM Business Growth Hub, S&W and Nybble, with support from Bruntwood SciTech.