Beacon Financial, the parent company of Beacon Bank, has appointed Sean A. Gray as its Chief Executive Officer, effective September 21, 2026. He succeeds Paul A. Perrault, who retires after a career in banking that spanned over five decades.

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Gray will also serve on the boards of directors of both Beacon Financial Corporation and Beacon Bank. Perrault will remain with the company in a consulting role for one year to facilitate the leadership transition.

This leadership change comes after a succession planning process conducted by Beacon’s Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, with assistance from Richard Perkey of Caldwell Partners.

With nearly 30 years in banking, Gray has held leadership positions in various areas including commercial banking, wealth management, and asset-based lending. Most recently, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Beacon Financial, overseeing operations and integrating systems after the merger that formed the company from Brookline Bancorp and Berkshire Hills Bancorp.

Prior to his role at Beacon, Gray served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Berkshire Bank from November 2018 to 2025, and he was briefly the interim CEO during 2020-2021. His tenure at Berkshire Bank began in 2007, where he led operations across multiple divisions including retail banking and technology.

As CEO, Gray aims to drive the integration of the merged entity and enhance operational performance while expanding its commercial banking services. He has emphasized the importance of maintaining a regional operational model that prioritizes local decision-making.

Gray is focused on achieving efficiencies from the merger, optimizing the company's expense structure, and pursuing organic growth. He will also prioritize disciplined capital allocation and maintaining dividend distributions to shareholders.

Headquartered in Boston, Beacon Financial reports assets of approximately $22.3 billion and operates more than 145 branches throughout New England and New York. Besides traditional banking services, Beacon also offers equipment financing, SBA lending, and private wealth management.

Gray holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree from Bentley University.