Video: Andrew Strauss at the Yorkshire International Business Convention

The pair headlined the Yorkshire International Business Convention, which this year centred around the theme of winners.

Mr Strauss told the delegates how he led his team to home and away Ashes victories after a humiliating 5-0 defeat in 2006-07.

“There’s a perception that great Churchillian speeches are the way forward,” he said.

“I have never bought into that. The most important thing is to make people feel wanted and appreciated.”

He said preparation was vitally important to success and the team went through lots of what-if scenarios before the triumphant tour Down Under.

Mr Strauss added: “Prepare well, be prepared for anything, therefore when it does happen under real pressure you can react sensibly to that.”

The England captain warned that international cricket is splitting into two divisions and said administrators should use money from the wealthy 20-20 game to finance test cricket, which he described as the ultimate form of the sport.

In the afternoon, Sir Tim Berners-Lee told the audience how he invented the World Wide Web in 1989 while working at the European Particle Physics Laboratory in Switzerland.

His royalty-free invention went on to revolutionise the way the world communicates.

Sir Tim spoke about importance of managing the internet in a decentralised, neutral and open way.

He said that society needs to design new institutions on the web and “find new forms of meritocracy that will work for the future”.

He also warned against the development of internet profiling, which could be used for sinister purposes.

“It’s very important for democracy that the web is kept open,” he said.

“It’s also important they are not spying on you.”

After his speech, he told the Yorkshire Post that “control of the internet by a large company or a large government” represented the biggest threats.

Meanwhile, comedian Roy Walker provided a light-hearted opening to the convention, which took place at Harrogate International Centre for the first time and at the Spa in Bridlington.

Former marine biologist and television presenter Monty Halls entertained the audience with stories of his sea adventures and the people he has met along the way.

He urged the audience not to forget their identity. “Identity is the key to the way you go forward and how you conduct yourself,” he said. “Yorkshire has that great sense of identity.”

He recalled a particularly challenging experience filming in West Scotland for BBC2’s Monty Hall’s Great Escape. “I remember thinking: ‘What is keeping me going?’ ” he said.

“But I am a Royal Marine Officer. It meant pride in who I was with a clear sense of purpose. A unique culture, clearly different set of values and a profound belief that I would ultimately prevail in a certain set of circumstances.”

Self-made property investor and millionaire Caroline Marsh inspired the audience with her journey to success.

Growing up in Zambia, she always dreamed of becoming an air hostess but when the airline she worked for went into liquidation she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She revealed her life changed when she collected her final pay cheque from the liquidator who went on to become her husband. The couple moved to England and after inheriting some property they built up a successful investment business.

Ms Marsh, who appeared on Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire programme, said: “I am a wealthy woman because of the opportunity of entrepreneurship.”

Other speakers included Terry Hill, former chairman of Arup, the global engineering consultancy, who espoused the benefits of employee-owned companies.

“You don’t have these disinterested shareholders. It makes life so much simpler. All you have to do is concentrate just on your own employees and your customers,” he said.

He welcomed the coalition Government’s commitment to mutualise large swathes of the public sector, but said ministers need to speed up reforms.

The YIBC raised money for Henshaws, which provides educational, residential, day-care and community services for visually-impaired and disabled people of all ages.

Around 1,200 delegates attended across the two sites.