Leadership Profile | Bharn Burgers

Bharn Burgers is the Head of Strategic Projects at Saratoga and is responsible for finding and developing new and innovative ways of thinking about how Saratoga does business. In this role, Bharn explores how Saratoga as a professional solution delivery partner engages with our clients in ways which add real value to their organisations. “It‘s about what we do and the way that we do it.” 

While Bharn was originally drawn to a career in academics, he soon realised that his personality was more geared towards practical learning than engaging with theoretical concepts. “The right doors opened and before I knew it, I was in working in IT consulting.” 

A significant milestone in Bharn’s career was when he decided to move to the Netherlands in 2007. The move was not aimed at a specific position or leadership role, but rather to provide him with valuable exposure to a range of new ideas, ways of working and a completely different culture. “My role allowed me to travel to businesses across the world and learn lessons in the most unexpected ways.” 

As a leader, Bharn strives to lead by example and embraces continuous learning in his professional career. Practically, this means Bharn aims to be open to feedback and to embrace failures – traits he also encourages in his team and co-workers. “I have a regular reminder to request reviews of my work from internal and external colleagues and stakeholders.” In terms of continuous learning, Bharn prioritises time for podcasts, books and formal courses – after which he looks for ways to share the knowledge he has gained with his colleagues.

A favourite book Bharn would recommend is ‘Principles’ by Ray Dalio. A phrase from the book which had a significant impact on Bharn is: ‘Be radically open-minded and radically transparent.’ This has taught Bharn to always try to be open to the fact that he may be wrong and to try not to hide his failures, but rather embrace them as opportunities to grow.  

“I’m passionate about living intentionally and seeking a well-balanced life.” For Bharn it is important to be informed about various aspects of healthy living and trying to put this into practice. This includes spending time with his family, sleeping enough, making time in the mornings to meditate and pray as well as going for a run three or four times a week.  

We’re always looking for talented professionals to join our Saratoga teams in Cape Town or Gauteng. Take a look at our current open roles here for available opportunities with us.