HarborOne in Massachusetts names next chief executive

HarborOne Bancorp in Brockton, Massachusetts, will soon have a new chief executive.

The $4.6 billion-asset announced Thursday that CEO James Blake will retire in May and that Joseph Casey, currently president and chief operating officer, will succeed him. Casey will also retain his title of president.

Both men will continue to serve as HarborOne directors.

Casey joined HarborOne in 2004 and was appointed president and COO in February 2017. He previously held numerous leadership positions at the bank, including the chief financial officer role for several years. Earlier in his career, Casey was vice president at Seacoast Financial Services in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and CFO at Compass Bank for Savings in New Bedford.

Blake has been CEO of the bank since 1995. During his tenure, HarborOne converted from a credit union to a bank, completed multiple acquisitions and most recently embarked on a multiyear expansion into the Boston market with new branches.

“Jim Blake has provided exceptional leadership throughout his 25 years as CEO, growing the bank’s assets from $458 million to over $4.5 billion,” HarborOne Chairman Michael Sullivan said in a press release. “With Jim at the helm, we benefited from both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, increasing our branch network from seven locations in 1995 to 30 this year.”