about us

SpringReef LLC is an investor advocate, providing independent, unbiased guidance to high net worth families and nonprofit organizations on essential aspects of wealth management

Our Story

After thirty years of working in financial services, Doug Black was keenly aware of the industry’s inherent issues, among them a systemwide lack of transparency and a frequent failure to place clients’ interests first. It was clear to him that clients needed someone on their side, a partner to help them navigate the increasingly complex industry landscape and to advocate for their financial best interests.

In September 2010, Doug founded SpringReef LLC, creating the first independent consultancy focused solely on assisting families and nonprofits in the evaluation and selection of financial advisors, wealth management firms, and institutional consultants – all in an objective, unbiased, and fiduciary manner.

Our organization has helped close to 200 wealthy families and nonprofits – with cumulative investable assets of over $15 billion – evaluate their financial advisors, find well-matched best-in-class providers, and solve for many other unique investment management issues. We count among our private clients many successful entrepreneurs, multi-generational families, and corporate executives, and on the nonprofit side, public and private foundations, private educational institutions, and trade associations.

Our unwavering commitment to our clients’ best interests has always been and will continue to be a cornerstone of our work at SpringReef.  To ensure our objective and unbiased focus on the families and nonprofits we serve, we have no affiliations with any financial advisors or wealth management firms, and accept no compensation other than from our clients.

Our Leadership Team

Doug Black

Founder | SpringReef LLC

With over forty years of financial services experience, including a succession of senior executive roles at a prominent investment management firm,
Doug Black, founder of SpringReef, possesses the background and expertise critical to advising high net worth families and nonprofit organizations on important aspects of wealth management.

Prior to launching SpringReef, Mr. Black was the Head of Strategic Business Development and the Chief Operating Officer of Private Wealth Management for UBS Wealth Management. During his tenure as an industry executive, he managed business development for over 2,500 financial advisors in 150 offices, led financial advisor talent acquisition, and created one of the most extensive financial advisor due diligence processes in the industry.

As a wealth management industry expert, Mr. Black has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Barron’s, Family Wealth Report and Private Asset Management.

Anna Bronstein

Chief Operating Officer | SpringReef LLC

With close to fifteen years of experience in financial services and a keen understanding of the private wealth segment, Anna Bronstein plays an integral role in delivering SpringReef’s unique value proposition to high net worth families and nonprofit organizations.

Anna oversees client relationship management for the firm, expertly guiding families and nonprofits through their engagements and executing SpringReef’s commitment to serving the best interests of its clients. She also plays an integral part in SpringReef’s advisor due diligence, facilitating comprehensive, rigorous assessments of clients’ existing financial advisors, carrying out searches for best-in-class wealth management providers, and conducting research on industry issues and trends.

Prior to joining SpringReef, Anna held a succession of roles within UBS Wealth Management, most recently working in a strategic and analytical capacity alongside the senior leadership team of Private Wealth Management. She graduated magna cum laude from New York University (NYU).

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