Sarah Kirshbaum Levy is the CEO of Betterment, using decades of hands-on experience to make investing simple for everyone. Her practical skills and steady leadership help turn complex financial services into easy-to-use tools.
Sarah started her career at Disney, where she learned how to build trusted brands. She then spent more than 20 years at Viacom, overseeing strategy, finance, operations, and global growth for well-known shows like SpongeBob, The Daily Show, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, and Comedy Central.
In senior roles, she helped turn creative ideas into smooth operations that reached millions. She always focused on customer needs, making sure projects ran efficiently from start to finish.
She earned a Bachelor’s in Economics from Harvard University from 1989 to 1993, graduating cum laude. Later, she completed an MBA at Harvard Business School from 1996 to 1998.
These degrees gave her a strong foundation in business, combining economics with practical strategy.
Path to Betterment
Sarah joined Betterment as Chief Operating Officer in summer 2020 and became CEO on December 8, 2020. Founder Jon Stein picked her because of her success in growing brands, even though her background was in media.
She was drawn to Betterment’s mission to improve lives through automated investing. As the leading independent digital advisor then, it gave her a chance to bring her operations skills into finance.
Her shift to fintech brought fresh energy, strengthening the robo-advisor model with low fees and simple access.
Leadership Style
Sarah leads with a customer-first mindset, paying close attention to needs and guiding teams to create simple solutions. Her approach is like making popular shows that families love, practical, reliable, and trusted. stays hands-on, prioritizing smooth operations, clear goals, and steady progress over bold risks. This builds a team culture aligned with the mission, where tools empower everyone to tackle big tasks.
Forbes praised her clear leadership during tough markets, noting how she empowers teams to achieve long-term success.
Key Achievements
Under Sarah’s guidance, Betterment grew assets under management to over $45 billion by 2024, fueled by smart acquisitions and a focus on navigating market shifts. Recent updates point to continued expansion toward $50 billion or more.
She expanded 401(k) plans for small businesses, making retirement easier for millions. Betterment now offers investing, checking, and advice, all automated, personalized, and affordable.
Customer loyalty grew thanks to easy tools like goal-based portfolios and tax optimization. She also serves on boards such as Funko (since 2019) and The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation (since 2012), where she shares her expertise.
Streamlining Finance
Sarah is great at simplifying tough tasks. At Viacom, she streamlined global operations for major brands, reducing waste and speeding up results.
At Betterment, she uses technology to automate services so users get expert advice without confusion or high costs. Features like auto-rebalancing and smart portfolios help people focus on life, not their finances.
Her work helps everyday investors build wealth efficiently, setting a new standard for accessible finance.
Personal Values
Sarah stays warm and straightforward, motivated by missions that genuinely help people. She welcomes new challenges, like moving from media to fintech, to encourage growth and learning.
Her style creates brands that feel welcoming. She mentors teams with care and always puts customer values first.
Her board work shows her commitment to giving back, balancing big-picture vision with practical solutions.
Looking ahead, Sarah envisions Betterment as a complete financial hub, adding account types, assets, and guided options that match the core mission.
She plans to invest in technology for personalized advice as banking changes. Growth will be steady, focusing on tools that help real wealth-building and serve more families and businesses.
Her goal is straightforward finance that empowers everyone.
