NorthRock Partners is expanding its hometown footprint through the acquisition of Kowalski Financial, a Minneapolis-based advisory firm with more than $200 million in assets under management.
The deal, announced this week, brings five team members to NorthRock and adds another local office presence for the Minneapolis-headquartered wealth management firm, which has been pursuing a broader national growth strategy centered on its Personal Office model.
Kowalski Financial was founded in 2019 and provides financial planning, estate planning and tax services. Under the agreement, the Kowalski team will relocate to NorthRock’s downtown Minneapolis offices and gain access to the firm’s in-house specialists across investments, tax, estate planning, insurance, legal services, business advisory and philanthropy.
“From the first conversations with Marc and the Kowalski team, it was clear they care deeply about their clients and about doing things the right way,” Cam Rosenow, head of growth at NorthRock, said in the announcement. He added that the combination brings together “a shared advice-first mindset” and the ability to “plug into the depth of NorthRock’s Personal Office model.”
Marc Kowalski, CEO of Kowalski Financial, said the partnership will allow the firm to continue delivering personalized guidance while expanding the range of resources available to clients.
The transaction is the latest in a series of acquisitions NorthRock has completed this year. In January, the firm announced the addition of Martin & Associates, an Illinois advisory team expected to contribute approximately $500 million in AUM, a deal that pushed NorthRock’s total AUM past $11 billion at the time.
In April, NorthRock added Vantage Financial Partners, bringing roughly $950 million in AUM and expanding the firm’s Midwest footprint across multiple states. That transaction marked NorthRock’s second acquisition of 2026 and lifted the firm above $12 billion in AUM.
With the Kowalski transaction, NorthRock continues to build scale through targeted acquisitions, adding advisory talent and broadening the resources available to clients.
“Ultimately, you just try to embrace collaboration,” said Greg Merrill of UBS.
Expanded deal pairs succession-planning software with a broker-dealer network already logging rapid AI adoption among 11,000 advisors.
Osman Nawaz, an agency veteran who rejoined last month, takes over as principal deputy director.
Berkshire Global Advisors reports reveals scaled buyers and steady tuck-ins push 2026 dealmaking to new highs.
Advisors face a psychological gap: clients are financially ready to retire but not ready to spend.
Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains
Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income