Wayne was born and raised in Auckland. He is a qualified engineer and businessman with an extensive background in governance. Wayne has been a director of several large public organisations including Television New Zealand, Māori TV, Transpower and Vector Limited.

As chair of the Auckland District Health Board (2001-2007), Wayne was responsible for building the $500 million Auckland City Hospital on time and under budget. Between 2004 and 2013, Wayne served as Mayor of the Far North District. Wayne is also the author of a book, “The Five Minute MBA: according to Wayne Brown” (2007). He was elected Mayor of Auckland in October 2022.  

In his spare time, Wayne is a keen surfer and feels passionate about the marine environment. He is patron of the Sea Cleaners Charitable Trust, a non-profit organisation working to preserve New Zealand’s coastline. With the help of volunteers, Sea Cleaners has removed over 14.6 million litres of waste from New Zealand waterways since 2002.