Mr. Garside is an experienced financial professional with over 35 years of senior management experience. He was one of the founders and Chief Financial Officer of Optima Bank, which is now owned by Cambridge Trust. Prior to joining the team that opened Optima Bank, he was CFO at StonehamBank for many years. Ed has extensive experience in risk management, finance, investments, ALM and liquidity management, strategic planning, and corporate leadership. As an executive officer, he also played an integral role in ongoing business continuity planning, compliance, information technology, Human Resources, Loan Committee, and CRA oversight.
Ed has an M.B.A. and a B.S. in Management Advisory Services with a double major in accounting and management information. He was named the New Hampshire Business Review Financial Executive of the Year in 2014 for providing outstanding fiscal leadership and asset management. Ed was a past president and National Director at Large of the Financial Managers Society (FMS), Boston Chapter, where he coordinated educational programs for financial executives in the banking industry. He is a past President, Treasurer, member of the Finance Committee, and member of the Executive Committee of The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He currently serves as a member of The Music Hall’s Board of Trustees.