L. Douglas O’Brien – Profile

L. Douglas O’Brien is the retired President and Chief Executive Officer of The Grappone Companies, a retailer of over sixteen car, truck, and heavy equipment franchises in New Hampshire and the State’s largest privately held company.  The Grappone Companies, located in Concord, NH employs 350 people and has been a family owned business for over 80 years.

Prior to joining the Grappone Companies, Mr. O’Brien was President, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Bank of Ireland First Holding, Inc. (trading as First NH Banks). Mr. O’Brien also held a number of senior positions with National Westminster Bancorp. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of National Westminster Bank, NJ and as Senior Executive Vice President and Director of the NatWest holding company in the United States. Previously, he was associated with Bankers Trust Company as President of one of their subsidiaries.

Active in civic and community groups, Mr. O’Brien has served as Chairman of the NH Bankers Association and Vice-Chairman of the Business & Industry Association of NH. He is a director of the NH Symphony Orchestra, TD Banknorth, N.A., Federated Brands and Advertex Communications, Giving New Hampshire, on the Board of the NH Community Technical Colleges Foundation, Plymouth State College President’s Council, Junior Achievement’s Advisory Council, Chairman of the Commission on Charitable Giving and Volunteerism in NH and a member of the Governor’s Commission to Assess Operating Efficiency in State Government.

Mr. O’Brien previously served as a director of UNICEF, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Greater New York Council – Boy Scouts of America, the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the New England Bankers Institute, the NH Business Roundtable, as a Trustee of Steven’s Institute of Technology, Chairman of the Operating Committee of Celebrate NH Culture, the Currier Museum, an Incorporator of the NH Charitable Foundation and Optima Health, Inc., Chairman of the Greater Jamaica Development Corp., and the Worker’s Compensation Committee of the NHADA. He is founder of the NH Community Development Corp. and NYCE (New York Cash Exchange, now Cirrus, the ATM network).  Mr. O’Brien is listed in Who’s Who in America.

He has a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, and also studied at New York University’s Graduate School of Business.

Mr. O’Brien resides in Bow, NH, with his wife, Ellen. They have five children.