Bridgeport, Connecticut-based People’s United Bank announced it was establishing a “Business Transformation Office” that would work to build partnerships with fintechs and support digital product efforts at the bank.
Ashley Nagle Eknaian did not start her financial services career working with technology, but after almost two decades in the industry, she’s found her way to the top at Eastern Labs, Eastern Bank’s fintech incubator.
When asked about the path he took into banking, Eastern Bank’s Rich Holbrook jokes, “Everything I’ve done has been totally planned. Just none of those plans worked out.” In his early years, Holbrook thought he might become a doctor. But during a post-college stint in Yale University’s athletic department, a friend lured him into a meeting with Connecticut Bank & Trust executives with the promise of free shrimp – and he was sold. It was the ability to make a difference that appealed to him, and over his 36-year banking career, he’s done just that. Now approaching retirement, Holbrook sat down with Banker & Tradesman to talk about advocating for social justice, thinking about tech and looking forward to the bank’s new leadership.
