Wayne Pearce
Rugby league legend.
Profile
Wayne Pearce is one of Australia’s most respected and highest profile rugby league identities.
Over the past decade, he has established a reputation for engaging leaders in delivery of effective change management programs. Wayne is a highly engaging presenter, facilitator and acclaimed keynote speaker who captivates every audience with his unique approach and compelling content.
Current Work
Wayne is currently an Australian Rugby League Commissioner where continues to practices what he preaches. Using his unique blend of corporate and sporting culture as well as a wealth of Rugby League experience, Wayne has lead the league into a highly successful period.
Wayne is widely regarded as an innovator and is the pioneer of his own program, the Wayne Pierce Advantage. Combining proven sports psychology techniques with a mix of organisational and behavioural change methodologies, Wayne has developed a range of powerful tools and techniques designed to help businesses address gaps in the areas of leadership, teamwork and motivation.
He has a wide portfolio of satisfied clients across Australia and south-east Asia who have benefited from his highly effective outcomes-based methods and workshops. His clients include ANSTO, John Holland, Bunnings, Caltex, Commonwealth Bank, Coates Hire, Downer EDI, IAG Insurance, News Limited, RTA and UGL.
Previous Experience
Coaching: In 1988, while still a player, he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to rugby league and the community. During his playing career, Wayne also completed a Bachelor of Science degree and Diploma of Education at the University of New South Wales.
He found his university psychology studies to be particularly useful when he retired from playing and commenced a professional coaching career with the Balmain Tigers. He coached the Tigers through a period of massive change when they merged with Western Suburbs to become the Wests Tigers. He was so successful as the Tigers coach that he was appointed New South Wales State of Origin coach in 1999. His stint as coach saw NSW Blues achieve a 3-0 whitewash over Queensland. This made Wayne the only person to both captain (which he did in 1986) and then coach (in 2000) a 3-0 series win.
Playing: Wayne carved out an illustrious career in rugby league where he represented and captained the Balmain Tigers, New South Wales and Australia from 1980 to 1990. He played 217 competition matches for the Tigers, 15 State of Origin matches and 19 tests for Australia.
Wayne was the pin-up boy and face of rugby league throughout the 1980s and in 1988, long-time team-mate Benny Elias said of Wayne: ‘Of all the players I ever saw, he was the closest at playing up to his full potential every week. Albert Einstein once said that human beings only use five percent of their potential but Albert did not meet Junior Pearce’.
Feedback
Wayne was very personable and approachable - he had no problems doing 'PR' afterwards with the group - very much appreciated by the client! Wayne was perfectly suited to our group's requirements, and the client has already requested the possibility of booking him for the next event!
Wayne's passion and dedication for the psychology of team building has helped my senior leadership team on the journey to achieving world-class performance levels. His compelling messages on team and personal development have been embraced by my staff... he is truly an inspiration.
Wayne's ongoing contribution in helping us galvanise the culture of our geographically disparate working groups has been outstanding and the feedback from our employees has been fantastic.
Wayne Pearce Advantage has become an invaluable partner in the development of our business teams. The programs and service provided are of the highest quality and reach our staff at all levels.
A key team in my operation had become dysfunctional and was in need of intervention and refocusing. This was not something that could be done using internal resources, so we engaged Wayne to run a full day workshop with the senior people from that team. The feedback was terrific with the overwhelming comment being that it was best day of its type that the staff had attended. Most importantly the team is now producing great results and we are using Wayne to help us improve productivity across our business.
Wayne was able to really engage with the audience and provide valuable well researched advice and knowledge about team building capabilities along side really life examples. The audience we extremely happy with how he connected with them on a personal level and his talk was very well received. Wayne was personable, professional and made every effort to take peoples questions and photos. We would not hesitate in recommending Wayne as a keynote speaker.
