A Denver-based wealth management team overseeing $770 million in custodied assets has built its practice on a foundation of client education, multigenerational relationships, and a husband-and-wife partnership model. The Willenbrock Group at UBS Wealth Management, led by senior members Tad Willenbrock, Elizabeth Willenbrock, and Scott Ansel, serves approximately 200 households with a portfolio strategy centered on outcome-based planning and diversified separately managed accounts.
The team joined UBS Wealth Management in 2009 during what Tad Willenbrock described as “the absolute low point of the market,” according to the firm. Before that move, the practice operated at Dean Witter Reynolds, where the couple adopted the ticker symbol DWR as an internal principle: “Do what’s right.”
Building Multigenerational Client Relationships
The Willenbrock Group has developed four-generation family relationships over three decades in the industry. Tad Willenbrock’s early client development came through golf connections after playing for the University of Colorado, while Elizabeth Willenbrock focused outreach toward older clients navigating significant life transitions.
Additionally, the team maintains personal connections through regular events hosted at least every other month. These gatherings include luncheons, guest speakers, wine tastings, and cooking-school sessions, helping preserve in-person relationships even as virtual meetings have become more common post-pandemic.
Husband-and-Wife Partnership Creates Unique Value
The senior partnership structure serves as a competitive differentiator for the wealth management team. Elizabeth Willenbrock has become a trusted resource for women clients facing divorce, death, or widowhood, while Tad Willenbrock concentrates on macroeconomic themes and alternative investments, according to the team.
However, both partners emphasize client education as a core value. “I wanna make sure our clients not only know what they own, but why they own it,” Tad Willenbrock said. This educational approach extends to portfolio construction, where the group prefers consistency over multiple competing strategies within the same asset category.
Outcome-Based Investment Philosophy Drives Portfolio Construction
The wealth management practice begins every client engagement with comprehensive planning. The team works backward from client goals to build portfolios designed to achieve specific percentage targets over defined time horizons, with separately managed accounts forming the foundation of most allocations.
Meanwhile, the group relies heavily on UBS access models connected to firms including Vanguard, American Funds, and Dimensional. Fixed income allocations consist almost entirely of separately managed accounts with core municipal bond exposure, while equity positions lean toward dividend-paying stocks rather than pure growth strategies.
Alternative Investments Reduce Volatility
Private market exposure plays a meaningful role for many of the team’s clients. Tad Willenbrock noted that “ninety percent of the companies in the world are private,” and newer private-market vehicles have created opportunities for clients to access private credit and private equity through more diversified structures.
In contrast to some wealth management approaches, the team does not pursue alternatives for outsized returns. “We’re not trying to get alpha out of alternatives,” Willenbrock explained. “We’re trying to reduce the beta and lower overall portfolio volatility.”
Long-Term Perspective Anchors Client Communication
The Willenbrock Group encourages clients to maintain a long-term horizon rather than react to daily market noise. The team sends birthday emails comparing the cost of a house, income levels, and Dow Jones values from the year each client was born to current figures, illustrating equities’ historical role as a wealth accumulation engine.
Furthermore, the practice emphasizes buy-and-hold discipline and diversification to help clients remain invested during market volatility. For families with children, the team recommends early investment in recognizable brands like Nike or Starbucks as an educational starting point.
The team maintains a constructive outlook on equities with expectations for continued lower interest rates, though specific timeline projections remain subject to market conditions and economic developments. Portfolio allocations continue to balance equity exposure, income-producing assets, and alternative investments tailored to individual client circumstances.
