Beacon Financial Corporation has appointed Sean A. Gray Chief Executive Officer of both Beacon Financial and Beacon Bank, completing a leadership succession process following the retirement of longtime banking executive Paul A. Perrault. Gray also joins the boards of the company and bank.
Perrault retired as CEO on September 21 after a banking career spanning more than five decades and will remain with Beacon in a consulting role for one year to support the transition.
Gray brings nearly three decades of banking experience across commercial banking, asset-based lending, specialty finance, wealth management and enterprise operations.
Most recently, he served as Beacon’s Chief Operating Officer and oversaw enterprise operations as well as the systems integration associated with the merger of Brookline Bancorp and Berkshire Hills Bancorp that created Beacon Financial.
Before the combination, Gray served as President and COO of Berkshire Bank from November 2018 through 2025 and Senior Executive Vice President of Berkshire Hills Bancorp from 2015 through 2025.
He also served as interim CEO between August 2020 and January 2021.
Beacon said Gray will focus on realizing merger efficiencies, improving performance and maintaining disciplined capital allocation while preserving the regional and local decision-making model used by the bank.
Beacon Financial is headquartered in Boston and has approximately $22.3 billion in assets and more than 145 branches across New England and New York.
KEY QUOTES:
“His appointment represents an important catalyst for Beacon’s next phase of profitable growth as the Company remains focused on delivering the commitments established through the merger.”
David M. Brunelle, Chairperson of Beacon Financial
“Beacon is well-positioned to grow, with greater scale, expanded capabilities and a stronger operating platform that allows us to accelerate our progress as a relationship-driven commercial bank.”
Sean A. Gray, CEO of Beacon Financial and Beacon Bank
