Executive Chair and Chair of the Board, Eastern Bankshares
Search every verified Bob Rivers interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Bob Rivers, Executive Chair and Chair of the Board at Eastern Bankshares, has recently discussed housing affordability, state competitiveness, and the local economy in Massachusetts. In a July 2025 podcast appearance, he attributed high housing costs to a lack of supply, arguing that underbuilding since the 2008 financial crisis has driven up prices and rents. He also criticized local zoning control as a barrier to development, stating that inconsistent rules across towns and cities make it difficult to address the issue. Rivers has described Eastern Bank as a "social enterprise wrapped in a financial services company," emphasizing its community-focused mission. Rivers has also spoken about his career and the bank's growth, noting that Eastern has expanded significantly through acquisitions, including a pending merger with Cambridge Trust. He has highlighted the Eastern Bank Foundation's work on economic inclusion and mobility, and has advocated for intentional diversity efforts, including setting board representation targets aligned with local demographics. In earlier appearances, he discussed the Paycheck Protection Program's disproportionate impact on minority-owned businesses, arguing that its first-come, first-served structure favored larger companies with more resources. He has also expressed concerns about the potential for technological advances like artificial intelligence to destroy more jobs than they create, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Join us for a new episode of The Finegold Factor featuring Eastern Bank Chair Bob Rivers as we dive into key issues shaping Massachusetts -state competitiveness, housing, artificial intelligence, and the future of the local economy.
Celebrate with us on September 23, 2024.
As a straight, white, male, Bob Rivers is far from an underrepresented individual. But that doesn't mean he's not aware of his privilege. Taking on the role of CEO at Eastern Bank 15 years ago, Bob has made it his life's purpose to ensure that the next generation of corporate America looks nothing like him. In this episode of The American Dream, Elias highlights a represented individual making a difference. He and Bob talk through how Eastern Bank's board reached a 50% diversity metric, why that matters, and where Bob thinks the city of Boston still needs to improve in the race towards equal…
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Warren K. Zola, executive director of the Boston College Chief Executives Club, speaks with Bob Rivers, chair & CEO of Eastern Bank. Held on May 1, 2020, this "Conversation with a CEO" touches upon a variety of subjects including how COVID is impacting small businesses and the racial equity gap.
Eastern Bank CEO Bob Rivers co-wrote a Boston Globe op-ed Tuesday criticizing the federal economic stimulus package for small businesses for failing to help those businesses that most needed the help, thereby further entrenching racial economic inequalities. “Since the availability of these limited monies was ‘first come, first served,’ it set up a ‘gold rush’ dynamic in which better resourced businesses that quickly submitted completed applications had the best chances of securing the funding,” Rivers wrote with his co-authors Betty Francisco, Steve Grossman, and Segun Idowu. Jim Braude was j…
Bob Rivers is the chair and chief executive officer of Eastern Bank, the largest and oldest mutual bank in the U.S. Rivers discusses why he’s placed social justice issues at the center of the bank’s mission. Read more on this story: https://bit.ly/2lTkmQ9 About the project: https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/... Subscribe to the Boston Globe on YouTube: / bostonglobe Follow Boston Globe on: Twitter / bostonglobe Facebook / globe Instagram / bostonglobe
Featuring Robert Rivers, Chairman and CEO of Eastern Bank.
When making the move to form a board, or to alter it, how much say does the CEO have? Eastern Bank has been working hard on its diversity initiative, and Rober Rivers stops by the studio to give Greg Stoller an update on how close they are to achieving thier goals.
The Power of Saying YES!
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