
Founder & CEO of Smartwaytostart.com.
CEO of VPBank Switzerland & Europe.
FINANCIAL PARENTING PIONEER.
Author, Keynote Speaker & SDG Advocate.

Founder & CEO of Smartwaytostart.com.
CEO of VPBank Switzerland & Europe.
FINANCIAL PARENTING PIONEER.
Author, Keynote Speaker & SDG Advocate.
Hello,I'm Mara
Economist by background (Dr. Rer. Pol. Summa Cum Laude), I am a senior leader in Finance, trained at Harvard and IMD. I have over 21 years experience in wealth management, working with billionaire families across Europe, and driving social & digital innovation across the financial industry on a global scale.
My journey in finance led me to focus on my biggest passion: Financial Parenting! I spent years exploring what wealthy parents are most concerned about: how do I teach my child the value of money, and ensure they grow up with good money habits?
The short answer is: start early! Money habits are largely formed for life by age 7! Bringing money concepts to young children (3-10y) in an easy and enjoyable way has become a great passion, because money is not just a transmission of value: it’s a transmission of values! Our daily money choices impact our world and there are so many opportunities to engage children in shaping the sustainable future our world needs.
Today, I am pioneering new ways to help all parents be their children’s best Money Role Models. I hope to see you in my FINANCIAL PARENTING MASTERCLASS: the world’s first and only comprehensive financial parenting course on money, ethics and impact, with everything you need to shape your kids’ financial future!


“My mission is to enable parents worldwide to empower their children to grow up Financially Literate with good understanding of how their daily money choices impact their future and our world.”
Author

A Smart way to start
book series
Rhymed book series on money, equality and sustainability (17 SDGs), that teach children basic Financial Literacy and how their Money choices will impact our world.

Women and Risk:
rewriting the rules
Pay gaps, wealth gaps, pension gaps. What are the dynamics of women’s wealth creation and why are women often caught in a safety trap? How can we empower women financially?

Growth, employment
and productivity
My doctoral thesis (Dr. Rer. Pol., summa cum laude) on the nature and dynamics of the services industry development from the ’70s to the ’90s in Switzerland.

Gender Equality in the Mirror
By taking an innovative perspective, Gender Equality in the Mirror aims to advance the debate on gender equalities and to engage with the complexities of their practical implications in everyday life.
Featured
Brigitte Schweiz Heft – 2023- Dr. Mara Catherine Harvey
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Read MoreMy BACKGROUND
As senior leader in finance with over 21 years’ experience in Wealth Management at UBS, I have had the privilege to work with Billionaire families across Europe and across the globe, guiding them in having more positive impact with their wealth. Alongside my role as regional market head for Ultra High Net Worth clients and Family Offices, I designed, launched and implemented a ground-breaking global transformation program to advance women’s financial participation and access to capital, building an award winning team. We catalyzed over 1.5bn USD of capital into investments supporting gender equality.
Today, I advise organisations that seek to advance gender equality “outside-in” (focussing on female and diverse clients’ needs) and “inside-out” (accelerating diversity and inclusion within the firm).
I hold a doctorate with highest honors in Political Economy from Fribourg University and a degree in economic policy and econometrics. I am quadrilingual (E, I, F, D) and am a frequent speaker at international conferences, offering insights and solutions to advance economic gender equality.
My advocacy for gender equality in finance led me to publish the book “WOMEN AND RISK: Rewriting the Rules” (Nikolai Intelligence & Publishing, Berlin, 2108) and I was awarded the Financial Justice Champion award by The Bridge, Berlin, the same year.
I was busy writing my this book to raise awareness for gender pay gaps, wealth gaps, and barriers to female financial participation, when I realised that no one was tackling the root causes: the biased money messages girls grow up with. So I decided to write books for children, to empower girls in particular, to feel confident talking about money and to grow up knowing their worth. This is how the SMART WAY TO START series was born,
I recognised early on that Financial Literacy for children expands well beyond financial confidence for girls. It needs to include the boys as well and tackle all essential money skills that are needed in life: Earning, Saving, Spending, and Making Good Money Choices.
I’ve always loved rhymes, so I immediately knew this was the challenge I would take on when writing these children books. Rhymes can become experiences that stay with us for life.
My vision is to empower children worldwide to grow up financially literate (and for girls to enter the workforce on equal terms to the boys, being able to negotiate their worth) and understand how our daily money choices impact our world. The fifth book of the series explains in rhymes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and has just been endorsed and published by the United Nations under the title START DOING GOOD.

I recognised early on that Financial Literacy for children expands well beyond financial confidence for girls. It needs to include the boys as well and tackle all essential money skills that are needed in life: Earning, Saving, Spending, and Making Good Money Choices.
I’ve always loved rhymes, so I immediately knew this was the challenge I would take on when writing these children books. Rhymes can become experiences that stay with us for life.
My vision is to empower children worldwide to grow up financially literate (and for girls to enter the workforce on equal terms to the boys, being able to negotiate their worth) and understand how our daily money choices impact our world. The fifth book of the series explains in rhymes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and has just been endorsed and published by the United Nations under the title START DOING GOOD.
Connect with Mara

Do you want to engage your clients or employees on the topics of economic gender equality, financial empowerment or financial parenting? It will be inspiring, I promise!
“Your presentation exceeded all our expectations!”
Universa, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland (2022)
Are you seeking advice to take control of your own financial future? Do you need help shaping and aligning money messages within your family? Is finding the right financial services provider overwhelming? I’m happy to help you with all your questions and share all my experience!


strategic Consulting
Is advancing gender equality, diversity and inclusion a priority for your firm but you are still not where you’d like to be? Fear not. With a proven set of tools, processes and engagement activities, tailored entirely to your specific needs, you will be able to drive lasting transformation within your firm.
Webcasts and TV interviews
podcasts
ARTICLES & BLOGS
Book Mara
Get in touch if you would like to book Mara for speaking engagements, 1-on-1 mentoring, strategic consulting or if you have a question.
Linkedin & Instagram