Kim Kovalski
Kim Kovalski joined MarshBerry in 2021 and advises founders, executives, and boards across the wealth management and financial services sectors on strategic growth, capital formation, ownership transitions, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Drawing on more than two decades of experience as a business leader, operator, private equity investor, and strategic advisor, Kim brings a multidimensional perspective to clients navigating consequential decisions about the future of their firms.
Kim has a particular focus on the registered investment advisor (RIA) and wealth management sectors, where she works closely with founders and leadership teams to assess strategic alternatives and translate long-term objectives into actionable plans. Her work spans organic and inorganic growth strategy, capital and ownership structure, strategic and financial partnerships, succession planning, and M&A. She is particularly experienced in helping founders evaluate the trade-offs inherent in these decisions including economics, governance and control, culture, employee opportunity, client outcomes, and the long-term trajectory of the enterprise.
Central to Kim’s approach is the perspective she brings as a former business owner and senior operating executive. Having built and led businesses herself, she understands that the most important strategic decisions rarely lend themselves to purely financial analysis. For founders in particular, questions surrounding growth, succession, independence, and liquidity are often deeply interconnected with the business they have spent their careers building. Kim is passionate about helping clients navigate these inflection points with clarity and objectivity, serving as a trusted advisor as they define their priorities, evaluate alternatives, and ultimately determine the path that best positions the firm, its people, and its clients for the future.
Prior to joining MarshBerry, Kim co-founded and led Bikelane Solutions, an industry-focused property & casualty retail insurance brokerage. Previously, she served as CFO of Ovation Benefits Group, one of the nation’s largest independent employee benefits brokerage firms, where she played an integral role in driving profitable organic growth, advancing business development initiatives, and strengthening the firm’s operating infrastructure. She also served as COO and CFO of Karelia Health, a healthcare services business incubated within Ovation.
Earlier in her career, Kim spent more than a decade at Conning Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on the insurance and financial services sectors. At Conning, she led investments throughout the transaction lifecycle—from sourcing and diligence through structuring, negotiation, and execution—and worked closely with portfolio company executives and boards on strategic and operational initiatives. Her experience as both an investor and operator continues to inform her approach to advising founders today, providing an appreciation for how capital, strategy, execution, and stakeholder alignment collectively influence long-term value creation.
Kim maintains the FINRA Securities Industry Essentials (SIE®) Exam, as well as the Series 7, 79, and 63 FINRA registrations through MarshBerry Capital, LLC, the affiliated FINRA-registered broker-dealer of Marsh, Berry & Co., LLC.
Kim earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Fairfield University and a Master of Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
