# Rich Holbrook

> Richard E. “Rich” Holbrook is a director and chair emeritus of Eastern Bank. He joined Eastern as CFO in 1996, became president and COO in 2001, and served as chairman and CEO from 2007 through 2016. His executive tenure encompassed regional expansion, the Wainwright and Centrix acquisitions, community philanthropy, and the establishment of Eastern Labs.

- **Role:** Director and Chair Emeritus at Eastern Bank
- **Organizations:** Eastern Bank, Eastern Bankshares, Inc., Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (former director), Federal Advisory Council (former First District representative), Massachusetts Bankers Association (former chair), American Bankers Association Mutual Institutions Council (former chair), Boston Chamber of Commerce (former executive committee member)
- **Education:** Undergraduate degree; field not specified in official biography, Yale University, MBA, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Eastern grew more than fivefold in total assets and more than tripled its locations across his two decades at the bank, according to the 2016 retirement announcement., Led Eastern during the Wainwright and Centrix acquisition agreements., Served as the First Federal Reserve District representative to the Federal Advisory Council.

## Career timeline

- **1996** — Joined Eastern Bank as chief financial officer and executive vice president.
- **2001** — Became president and chief operating officer of Eastern Bank and Eastern Bank Corporation.
- **2007** — Became chairman and chief executive officer.
- **2010** — Eastern announced an approximately $163 million agreement to acquire Wainwright Bank & Trust.
- **2014** — Eastern launched Eastern Labs and announced its approximately $134 million Centrix Bank & Trust acquisition agreement.
- **2016** — Retired as chairman and CEO on December 31, remaining a director.
- **2017** — Bob Rivers succeeded him as chairman and CEO on January 1.
- **2026** — Continues as director and chair emeritus; the 2026 proxy anticipates director retirement on December 31 under company policy.

## Achievements

- Eastern grew more than fivefold in total assets and more than tripled its locations across his two decades at the bank, according to the 2016 retirement announcement.
- Led Eastern during the Wainwright and Centrix acquisition agreements.
- Served as the First Federal Reserve District representative to the Federal Advisory Council.
- Led Eastern during the establishment of Eastern Labs in 2014.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — The 2026 proxy states that Holbrook remains director and chair emeritus and is expected to retire as a director on December 31, 2026, under company policy.

## Links

- Website: https://investor.easternbank.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=34ed066b-c819-4e1c-a37f-14bc8869ba5f
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-holbrook-8388a9122

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/rich-holbrook
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24