Minneapolis, MN-based US Bank has appointed Brian Vowinkel as regional managing director for Ascent Private Capital Management, the bank’s wealth management unit which caters for clients with at least $25 million in assets. Additionally, the bank said it is due to open an office in Seattle, WA within the next few months.

Vowinkel’s main task is to drive growth within the new office while leading an initial team of seven professionals, responsible for assisting ultra high net worth clients with investment management, private banking, wealth impact planning and financial administration. He reports to Ascent president Michael Cole, and has 13 years of experience assisting UHNW families.

Previously, Vowinkel headed his own wealth management firm, Ranger Select, in Seattle. Prior to that, he opened Convergent Wealth Advisors’ Seattle office, where he was an equity partner and served as regional managing director. He also helped launch Goldman Sachs’ Seattle office for private clients.

While Ascent serves US Bank's UHNW clients, the company also has a division called the Private Client Reserve, which targets HNW clients with more than $1 million in investable assets, as well as a mass affluent offering, specializing in individuals with over $100,000 in investable assets - the Private Client Group. 

In other significant hires, last summer Ascent Private Capital Management added Jonathan Firestein as head of private capital and brought in Kurt Silberstein as managing director of alternative investments for the unit. 

US Bank had $341 billion in assets as of 31 March; the firm has offices across 25 states.