Eastern Bankshares, Inc. Appoints Marisa J. Harney And Linda M. Williams To Its Board Of Directors

Eastern Bankshares, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq Global Select Market: EBC), the stock holding company for Eastern Bank, announced today the appointment of Marisa J. Harney and Linda M. Williams to its Board of Directors effective immediately. They have also each been appointed to the Audit and Risk Management Committees of the Board effective January 1, 2024. They will also serve on the Board of Directors of the Company’s banking subsidiary, Eastern Bank.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Marisa Harney and Linda Williams to our Board,” said Bob Rivers, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Eastern Bankshares, Inc. and Eastern Bank. “They are highly respected risk management and audit leaders, and offer a variety and depth of experience that we believe will serve the Board, our shareholders and the customers and communities we serve well. Marisa brings extensive banking and risk management experience and Linda brings extensive risk management and audit experience.”

Marisa Harney most recently served as Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer of First Citizens BancShares, Inc. and its bank subsidiary First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (“First Citizens”) with responsibility for credit risk management. She has extensive experience in credit policy, credit standards, risk appetite and limits, and other areas involved in preparing First Citizens for the transition to regulatory large bank supervision. She was previously Chief Credit Officer of CIT Group and CIT Bank, N.A., prior to their merger with First Citizens in January 2022, responsible for all aspects of credit risk management for the $50 billion lender. Throughout her 42-year career, she has served in senior credit risk roles with various financial institutions, including Credit Suisse First Boston and JPMorgan Chase. She received an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business and a BS degree from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.

Linda Williams is Chief Risk and Audit Officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the largest private health plan in Massachusetts serving nearly 3 million members and one of the largest independent, not-for-profit Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in the country. Ms. Williams is responsible for strategic enterprise risk management, internal audit and information security, including regulatory compliance for both federal and state regulations. A health insurance executive with more than 25 years of experience, her background also spans areas that include underwriting, account reporting and contracts. She also serves on the boards of directors of SmileDirectClub and Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries and as a trustee for the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps, where she also serves as treasurer. She received a BS degree from Johns Hopkins University.