Beacon Financial's president and chief executive, Paul Perrault, has retired and is being succeeded at the helm of the bank holding company by Sean Gray.

Beacon on Monday said Gray, 50 years old, had been chief operating officer of the Boston company since it was formed by last year's merger of Brookline Bancorp and Berkshire Hills Bancorp.

Perrault, who had been president and CEO since the merger and was previously CEO of Brookline, will stay on for a year in a consulting capacity to assist with the transition, Beacon said.