Linda Simmons. Photo courtesy of BankFive

BankFive has hired a new chief financial offer as the calendar inches toward the new year, and a short time after losing its prior CFO to another lender in the area.

Linda Simmons, the former executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer of HarborOne Bank has joined Fall River-based BankFive in the same position.

“I am pleased to be joining such a tactical, seasoned and mission-oriented leadership team,” Simmons said in a statement. “I look forward to supporting BankFive in its work to deliver exceptional financial services to its community, and I look forward to collaborating with our talented team to drive sustainable success and navigate the evolving financial landscape.”

In her role at HarborOne, Simmons was responsible for all aspects of accounting, treasury and corporate planning, government banking, SEC reporting, investor relations and corporate insurance, BankFive said. Her new employer credited her with being “instrumental in driving the strategic direction” of HarborOne, as well as introducing various asset and liability management tools and treasury functions.

“Linda Simmons is a deeply respected leader with the ability to set big picture strategic direction and deliver exceptional results,” BankFive President and CEO Anne Tangen said in a statement. “What I most appreciate about Linda is her ability to synthesize large amounts of data and distill complex ideas into quickly understandable terms. This enhances her performance and the decision-making abilities at all levels of the organization. We are thrilled to welcome her to the team and can’t wait to see what she will do.”

Tangen worked with Simmons when they were both executives at The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod

Simmons steps into a role at BankFive recently vacated by Jennifer St. Pierre, who left in October following nearly seven years at the bank, after being hired by Taunton’s Bristol County Savings Bank.