Advice and Advocacy for the goals that matter

Private Wealth Management

Brunker Wealth Management has been helping generations of exceptional families pursue their financial goals for over 35 years. But our conversations often address other goals beyond the financial—like living a purposeful life, supporting the greater good of the community and leaving a legacy grounded in values. We believe these priorities are equally as meaningful.

As members of UBS Private Wealth Management, our training, deep understanding of complex wealth and access to firm-wide expertise and opportunities can help you pursue all that matters. Addressing your priorities in caring and creative ways, we are dedicated to building enduring relationships based on our mutually aligned interests and advice that grows with you, those you care about most and your evolving priorities.

Start the planning conversation

Building relationships that last

As advocates for our clients and their families, we are committed to helping make their lives better. We strive to be their “go-to” team, to create relationships that are aligned with interests and to deliver prudent, caring advice. We don’t just want to provide a solution, we want to provide the right solution.

Lester Brunker

Managing Director–Wealth Management

Financial Advisor
View bio Industry recognition
- AZ
- CA
- CO
- CT
- DC
- FL
- GA
- IL
- IN
- KS
- MA
- MD
- MI
- MN
- MO
- MT
- NC
- NJ
- NY
- OH
- PA
- SC
- SD
- TN
- TX
- UT
- VA
- VT
- WA
- WI
- WY
UBS Private Wealth Advisor Les Brunker of Brunker Wealth Management, there’s nothing more important than helping his clients navigate their complex financial lives to achieve better outcomes. Les provides comprehensive, consultative investment management and multigenerational wealth planning for sophisticated families. Accessing the extensive resources of UBS Private Wealth Management, Asset Management and Investment Bank, and working closely with clients’ trust and estate attorney and CPA for implementation, Les creatively tailors asset allocation solutions with tax efficiency. In a constantly changing world, he hopes clients can feel confident about their decisions and the legacies they’re building.

“I’m grateful to have the opportunities, tools and resources that help me deliver the solutions my clients need and deserve.”

— Lester A. Brunker

Professional experience
- UBS Private Wealth Management, 2009 – present
- Citigroup Global Markets, 1989 – 2009
- US Bank, 1985 – 1989
Credentials
- Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) professional
- Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®)
Education
- Wharton Executive Education CIMA® program
- B.S., economics, minor in statistics, University of Minnesota
Personal life
- Les served the Courage Kenny Foundation from 2013 – 2019 as treasurer and as finance committee chair.
- He served the Courage Foundation from 2005 – 2013 as treasurer, investment committee chair and Foundation Board Chair.
- He was active in the United States Ski Association (USSA) Region 1 Board 2015 – 2017.
- Les was a member of the Team Gilboa Board from 2015 – 2017.
- Former Edina ECFE Board.
- Les enjoys spending time with his family and friends at their mountain home in Wyoming.
- He loves anything outdoors, including yoga, hiking, cycling, alpine and nordic skiing.
- He is a passionate supporter of his wife, Theresa, who teaches English to immigrants in Jackson, WY via Central Wyoming College.
- Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors, 2023, 2024
  The Barron's rating is awarded annually in March and is based on information from the prior year Q3.
- Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025The Forbes rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in April based on information from a 12 month period ending June of the prior year.
- UBS Wealth Management President’s Council, 2024UBS Financial Services Inc. Councils are a distinction held by UBS Financial Advisors based on criteria including evaluation of compliance with firm rules, standards & policies and revenue. Council membership is not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of the advisor’s future performance.
80 South 8th Street
Suite 2900
Minneapolis, MN 55402

lester.brunker@ubs.com

Lester Brunker

80 South 8th Street,Minneapolis,MN,55402

Ann Bjerke

Executive Director

Head of Advanced Planning

View bio

Ann focuses on developing and implementing creative and comprehensive strategies to assist clients with their complex financial needs such as preservation, transfer and management of wealth. Prior to joining UBS in 2008, Ann practiced law with the law firm of Levin, Schreder & Carey, focusing on estate tax and income tax planning for ultra high net worth individuals, families and business owners.
Matthew Morris, CFA

Executive Director

Head, Portfolio Advisory Group Midwest, New York and Northeast Division

View bio

Matthew Morris is the Midwest Division Head of the Portfolio Advisory Group (PAG), leading a regional team of experienced investment professionals dedicated to providing asset allocation, portfolio construction, and investment management guidance and education to UBS' Ultra High Net Worth clients. Matthew and his team specialize in developing multi-asset, customized investment strategies and portfolios for sophisticated individuals, families, and institutions.
Sarah J. Salomon , CAP®

Executive Director

Head – Family Advisory and Philanthropy

View bio

Sarah leads a team of Senior Strategists who work with families on understanding money, values and philanthropic intent. Family Advisory and Philanthropy Services serves as thought partners to advisors and their exceptional client families on wealth transitions, family governance, family office strategies, and philanthropy as families seek guidance on cohesive dialogue between generations to perpetuate their legacy.
Michelle Hodge

Tailored Lending Transaction Manager

View bio
James Jack

Executive Director

Business Owners Segment Lead

View bio

James is the Head of both the Business Owners and Multigenerational Wealth Client Segments within the Strategic Client Segments team.

James took on the Business Owners Client Segment upon its creation in 2018 to build an organization that supports business owners and the Financial Advisors that advise them. He has worked with clients on pre-business sale exit planning, such as succession planning, M&A transaction planning, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), and the emotional and self-identity ramifications of exiting a business. During the COVID-19 pandemic, James and his team supported business owners in navigating pandemic programs like the Paycheck Protection Program. In 2023, James’s remit expanded to include the Multigenerational Wealth Client Segment, which includes UBS’s support of wealth transfer and transition strategies between generations and the Rising Gen. James and his team work to bring the best of UBS’s resources to these important client segments.

James has been with UBS since 2006, previously working in the WMA Banking Group to build banking, cash and lending solutions that meet the needs of High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth individuals and the Financial Advisors that support them. James has driven and executed strategies to expand securities-based lending, develop a proprietary credit card tailored to UBS's unique client base and helped to manage UBS’s deposit program, including pricing, sales, and product development programs.

James holds a BS in Finance and Economics from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Outside of UBS, James is a member of the board of directors and co-treasurer for the Bronx Academy of Letters Foundation, supporting a public middle and high school in the poorest congressional district in the US, and enjoys experiencing travel and cultures different from his own. He also holds FINRA Series 7 license and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) designation.

Lester Brunker

Managing Director–Wealth Management

Financial Advisor
View bio Industry recognition
- AZ
- CA
- CO
- CT
- DC
- FL
- GA
- IL
- IN
- KS
- MA
- MD
- MI
- MN
- MO
- MT
- NC
- NJ
- NY
- OH
- PA
- SC
- SD
- TN
- TX
- UT
- VA
- VT
- WA
- WI
- WY
UBS Private Wealth Advisor Les Brunker of Brunker Wealth Management, there’s nothing more important than helping his clients navigate their complex financial lives to achieve better outcomes. Les provides comprehensive, consultative investment management and multigenerational wealth planning for sophisticated families. Accessing the extensive resources of UBS Private Wealth Management, Asset Management and Investment Bank, and working closely with clients’ trust and estate attorney and CPA for implementation, Les creatively tailors asset allocation solutions with tax efficiency. In a constantly changing world, he hopes clients can feel confident about their decisions and the legacies they’re building.

“I’m grateful to have the opportunities, tools and resources that help me deliver the solutions my clients need and deserve.”

— Lester A. Brunker

Professional experience
- UBS Private Wealth Management, 2009 – present
- Citigroup Global Markets, 1989 – 2009
- US Bank, 1985 – 1989
Credentials
- Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) professional
- Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®)
Education
- Wharton Executive Education CIMA® program
- B.S., economics, minor in statistics, University of Minnesota
Personal life
- Les served the Courage Kenny Foundation from 2013 – 2019 as treasurer and as finance committee chair.
- He served the Courage Foundation from 2005 – 2013 as treasurer, investment committee chair and Foundation Board Chair.
- He was active in the United States Ski Association (USSA) Region 1 Board 2015 – 2017.
- Les was a member of the Team Gilboa Board from 2015 – 2017.
- Former Edina ECFE Board.
- Les enjoys spending time with his family and friends at their mountain home in Wyoming.
- He loves anything outdoors, including yoga, hiking, cycling, alpine and nordic skiing.
- He is a passionate supporter of his wife, Theresa, who teaches English to immigrants in Jackson, WY via Central Wyoming College.
- Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors, 2023, 2024
  The Barron's rating is awarded annually in March and is based on information from the prior year Q3.
- Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025The Forbes rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in April based on information from a 12 month period ending June of the prior year.
- UBS Wealth Management President’s Council, 2024UBS Financial Services Inc. Councils are a distinction held by UBS Financial Advisors based on criteria including evaluation of compliance with firm rules, standards & policies and revenue. Council membership is not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of the advisor’s future performance.
80 South 8th Street
Suite 2900
Minneapolis, MN 55402

lester.brunker@ubs.com

Lester Brunker

80 South 8th Street,Minneapolis,MN,55402

Ann Bjerke

Executive Director

Head of Advanced Planning

View bio

Ann focuses on developing and implementing creative and comprehensive strategies to assist clients with their complex financial needs such as preservation, transfer and management of wealth. Prior to joining UBS in 2008, Ann practiced law with the law firm of Levin, Schreder & Carey, focusing on estate tax and income tax planning for ultra high net worth individuals, families and business owners.
Matthew Morris, CFA

Executive Director

Head, Portfolio Advisory Group Midwest, New York and Northeast Division

View bio

Matthew Morris is the Midwest Division Head of the Portfolio Advisory Group (PAG), leading a regional team of experienced investment professionals dedicated to providing asset allocation, portfolio construction, and investment management guidance and education to UBS' Ultra High Net Worth clients. Matthew and his team specialize in developing multi-asset, customized investment strategies and portfolios for sophisticated individuals, families, and institutions.
Sarah J. Salomon , CAP®

Executive Director

Head – Family Advisory and Philanthropy

View bio

Sarah leads a team of Senior Strategists who work with families on understanding money, values and philanthropic intent. Family Advisory and Philanthropy Services serves as thought partners to advisors and their exceptional client families on wealth transitions, family governance, family office strategies, and philanthropy as families seek guidance on cohesive dialogue between generations to perpetuate their legacy.
Michelle Hodge

Tailored Lending Transaction Manager

View bio
James Jack

Executive Director

Business Owners Segment Lead

View bio

James is the Head of both the Business Owners and Multigenerational Wealth Client Segments within the Strategic Client Segments team.

James took on the Business Owners Client Segment upon its creation in 2018 to build an organization that supports business owners and the Financial Advisors that advise them. He has worked with clients on pre-business sale exit planning, such as succession planning, M&A transaction planning, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), and the emotional and self-identity ramifications of exiting a business. During the COVID-19 pandemic, James and his team supported business owners in navigating pandemic programs like the Paycheck Protection Program. In 2023, James’s remit expanded to include the Multigenerational Wealth Client Segment, which includes UBS’s support of wealth transfer and transition strategies between generations and the Rising Gen. James and his team work to bring the best of UBS’s resources to these important client segments.

James has been with UBS since 2006, previously working in the WMA Banking Group to build banking, cash and lending solutions that meet the needs of High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth individuals and the Financial Advisors that support them. James has driven and executed strategies to expand securities-based lending, develop a proprietary credit card tailored to UBS's unique client base and helped to manage UBS’s deposit program, including pricing, sales, and product development programs.

James holds a BS in Finance and Economics from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Outside of UBS, James is a member of the board of directors and co-treasurer for the Bronx Academy of Letters Foundation, supporting a public middle and high school in the poorest congressional district in the US, and enjoys experiencing travel and cultures different from his own. He also holds FINRA Series 7 license and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) designation.

Wealth advice for a lifetime

How we plan and invest
We’ve designed our planning and investment processes to ensure we understand you financially and personally, and to help you understand our recommendations for moving forward. We begin with deep discovery conversations that identify your priorities, goals, concerns and values—all factors that contribute to financial decision making over time. From there we develop an investment allocation that is uniquely yours.

Lifestyle assets

Home(s)
Life insurance
Living expenses
Education expenses

Your diversified portfolio

Cash
Bonds
Stocks
Investment real estate
Alternative investments

Aspirational assets

Employer stock option awards
Real estate opportunities
Concentrated stock positions
Miscellaneous investments

Connecting families across generations

Instilling financial responsibility and steward
What is the best way to transfer my wealth to my children? How do I prepare my children for the financial responsibility? These are some of the many questions we can answer. Our team has the knowledge and experience to build a multigenerational plan for transitioning assets. We will work alongside you and your trusted tax and legal advisors to ensure the plan is well coordinated.

We look beyond the financial and connect across generations to address wealth transfer, family governance, family office governance and family business succession. Working with the UBS Family and Philanthropy Advisory Services team, we can also help you engage your loved ones in estate planning conversations and facilitate meetings to develop a family vision for your philanthropic interests and goals. We’re committed to actively providing financial education to help prepare your next generation to be responsible stewards of your wealth and legacy.

Delivering access. Tailoring opportunities.

Private Wealth Management

We are always seeking greater knowledge and clarity to serve our clients better. As a UBS Private Wealth Management team, we focus exclusively on complex wealth challenges. Our access to the full global scope of UBS—research, resources and specialists across the firm has firmly positioned us to deliver the opportunities that best fit your needs today—and for generations to come.

Advanced planning
Together with our estate and trust specialists as well your tax and legal advisors, we’ll provide a complete a complete balance sheet review and current estate assessment that includes:

Asset titling and ownership
Asset replacement solutions such as life insurance
Estate tax liabilities management
Lifetime gifting strategies
Trust management
Inheritance planning

Purposeful philanthropy
We work with a dedicated team of philanthropy experts to design a strategy that addresses your current charitable goals for creating a real impact in the world. We also engage family members, providing education on topics such as philanthropy and strategies for the next generation.

Portfolio Advisory Group
A truly customized portfolio should be informed by insights that align with your goals. The Portfolio Advisory Group provides us with advanced quantitative analysis and proprietary research for a dynamic asset allocation designed to address your specific needs.

Global wealth management research
Drawing on our investment analysis and the global body of thought leadership and market insight of our Chief Investment Office (CIO), we help ensure clients are receiving the firm’s best strategic and tactical allocation guidance.

Tariffs, volatility and your portfolio

Are you ready?

In the first 100 days of a second Trump administration, policy uncertainty continues to dominate. Do you have questions about the impact of tariffs, inflation and geopolitical developments on your investment strategy?

We’re here to help you make sense of it all and move forward with confidence. Make sure your portfolio is prepared for ongoing market volatility.

A leader in wealth management

Backed by the strength of our parent company, UBS AG

^$6 trn

UBS Group invested assets
As of 12/31/2024

51 countries

Our global footprint

Global leader

UBS is a leading and truly global wealth manager

Advice and Advocacy for the goals that matter

Building relationships that last

Lester Brunker

Ann Bjerke

Matthew Morris, CFA

Sarah J. Salomon , CAP®

Michelle Hodge

James Jack