Brad Barritt
Meet Brad Barritt, a former professional rugby player turned entrepreneur. After completing his MSc Business and Management Studies degree at Herts, he is now the Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships at ChaChing and the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Tiki Tonga Coffee Roasters.
| Current job role | Entrepreneur and Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships at ChaChing |
|---|---|
| Year of graduation | 2016 |
| Course of study | MSc Business and Management Studies |
Life at Herts
Brad has always had a passion for business and an entrepreneurial drive that was further fuelled after completing an undergraduate degree in South Africa. Inspired to continue this learning pathway, he decided to complete a master’s in business and management studies at Herts.
Whilst playing professional rugby for Saracens, Brad met Andrew Francis, a former staff member at Herts, who played a key role in helping him choose the 91¿´Æ¬ for his master's. His decision was also influenced by the strong connection between Saracens and Hertfordshire Sports Village, as well as the state-of-the-art facilities we offer here.
Whilst studying at Herts, Brad formed strong friendships with his peers and won the Hertfordshire Business School’s Dean’s Award for Outstanding Leadership with Impact. His graduation day was another memorable moment for Brad, which he celebrated alongside his wife and parents.
His career
Brad had many triumphs during his rugby career, playing for England, the British & Irish Lions, and serving as Saracens Captain during his twelve seasons and 262 appearances with the London club. Once retired, he decided to take on a new challenge and become an entrepreneur. Achieving his master’s at Herts helped him shift careers and launch his own business.
Brad is currently the Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships at ChaChing, an innovative e-commerce marketplace offering cashback rewards. Additionally, he is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Tiki Tonga Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roaster in Hertfordshire.
Future ambitions and advice
Brad says he is ‘really enjoying’ this period of his career and plans to continue expanding his business going forward.
Brad’s advice to Herts students and graduates is rooted in passion and perseverance, encapsulated by his favourite quote from Jacob Riss, an American journalist and social reformer:
‘When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rocks, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will all split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.'
Brad adds, ‘Follow your passion, and you will never work a day in your life'.