Massachusetts lender Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc., with branches in Connecticut, named former TD Banknorth CEO William J. Ryan as its board chairman, succeeding Lawrence A. Bossidy.
Bossidy, who had been lead independent director of the $6 billion-asset parent of Berkshire Bank since 2012 and chairman since 2002, has retired, the bank said Monday. Bossidy is the former chairman of industrial giants AlliedSignal Corp. and Honeywell Corp.
Ryan, 70, was TD Banknorth chairman and CEO from 1989 to March 2007. Ryan also is board chairman of employee-benefit and disability insurer Unum Group and sits on the board of health insurer WellPoint Inc., parent of Anthem Blue Cross of Connecticut.
Ryan is the majority owner of the Maine Red Claws, the Boston Celtics’ NBA Development League affiliate. He also serves as a trustee of the Libra Foundation and serves on the board of advisors at the University of New England.
Based in Pittsfield, Mass., Berkshire Bank has 90 branches in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.