Michael D. Ward
Executive Vice President
Employee Benefits

Michael Ward has a considerable background in employee-benefit plan design, funding and administration. As the practice leader, he manages the division that provides brokerage and advisory services in the health & welfare, retirement plan, and executive benefit areas. Prior to serving as the Executive Vice President of Eastern Benefits Group, Michael was President of Harbour Benefits Insurance Brokerage, an organization that he founded. Harbour Benefits was widely recognized as one of the fastest growing employee benefits firms in the Northeast. Effective April 1, 2004, Harbour Benefits was acquired by Eastern Bank and its subsidiary Eastern Insurance Group LLC and was renamed Eastern Benefits Group. Since the acquisition, Eastern Benefits Group has grown revenues by over 200%.

Prior to Harbour Benefits, Michael was the Managing Director and a brokerage representative for a regional insurance brokerage firm and also worked for many years as a Sales Executive for a leading national insurance company.

Michael is a member of the Broker Advisory Boards at Blue Cross Blue Shield, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, Tufts Health Plan and Delta Dental Plan. These boards work with the executive teams of the insurance companies in a consultative role with respect to product development, service initiatives and marketplace insight.

Michael is actively involved with the New England Employee Benefit Council, Massachusetts and National Health Underwriters Associations, and Northeast Human Resources Association. He also serves on the Board of Directors for The Plummer Home for Boys and the Salem Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Overseers for North Shore Medical Center.

Michael has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University and an MBA, summa cum laude, from Babson College.

E-mail Michael at .