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Banking is known for harboring a few narcissists. Does it draw in this personality type? 

There are various studies showing that financial services can appeal to some people with narcissistic tendencies, more than other industries do. Our society values financial potency with success; happiness and satisfaction are results sought after from those two qualities.

It doesn't usually work that way though?

I think the pandemic has shown us what really matters in life in this respect. We humans need a purpose, something so that our lives make sense. The accumulation of money can be sensible in the short term, but certainly not further out. Many very wealthy people are hugely unhappy, despite their financial security.

«We've specialized in a minority»

The motto «higher, faster, further, more» drives our society and feels like being in a hamster wheel. We may have now learned to distinguish what is important from what isn't. 

What was your driver when you were still a banker?

I was fascinated by the challenges. I'm still as ambitious today; as an elite athlete, I want to keep improving.

How does it feel being in the hamster wheel?

Everyone deals with it differently. Satisfaction or happiness can only come from within. But since our society and our system is based on the concept of endless, constant growth, this can be a factor for unhappiness. We've recognized this now. Ultimately it's about responsibility to ourselves.

You're run the Paracelsus Recovery center in Zurich for more than a year now. Why do clients seek you out? 

We've specialized in a minority. This demographic requires unique cultural empathy and handling. This type of individual wouldn't consider a normal clinic. We enable our clients to continue to pursue their business activities and structure our treatment plans to their specific needs.

It's pricey: your clinic costs nearly $90,000 per week.

Our clients appreciate the privacy, trustworthiness and absolute discretion of our team besides the professional level of service and highly qualified staff. Because we treat each client individually, our team of specialists creates a unique treatment plan and is available to them 24 hours per day.

Can you break down the $90,000 francs for me?

A so-called «live-in therapist» is unique to our program – a therapist who lives with the client, and is available around the clock. They work in lockstep with the psychiatrist and trauma therapist. Clients also have their own driver and chef who prepares meals to their individual needs as well as in accordance with their medical needs and the recommendations of our nutritionist.

«A good banker needs empathy as much as numbers»

Our treatments and therapy are up to date with the latest science, and depending on a client's individual needs, we may complement traditional medicine with alternative medicine.

Besides a personal trainer, massage therapist, nutritionist, or acupuncturist, we have many other potential avenues of therapy at our disposal. An entire team of up to 15 specialists is completely in sync and communicates daily in order to provide the best possible treatment that is catered to the individual needs of the client.

Looking back at your banking career, did many of your wealthy clientele have these types of problems? 

Many of the clients I dealt with wanted to talk about personal issues, so I had not only a view into their portfolios and performance but also their worries and concerns. A good relationship manager needs to not only present and interpret the numbers but should be empathic. Trust plays a huge role in this context.

A sustainable and long-term professional relationship between a client and relationship manager can only withstand fluctuations of financial markets if it is rooted in trust. The long-term trust between client and banker is the essential basis for consistent success in turbulent financial markets.

Marta Ra is CEO of Paracelsus Recovery Center in Zurich. She began her career in wealth management at Deutsche Bank in 2008 and has worked for Credit Suisse, J.P. Morgan, and Morgan Stanley. She was most recently a client relationship manager at Globalance Bank, a Swiss private bank specialized in sustainable investments. Ra is a triathlete, TEDx speaker, and co-founded the Women In Sustainable Finance network.