Aug 12 (Reuters) - Canadian lender CIBC

reshuffled its executive team on Tuesday, as it prepares for

incoming Chief Executive Officer Harry Culham to take the helm

in November.

The bank named Christian Exshaw its group head of capital

markets, home to its crucial investment banking arm. It also

appointed Kevin Li as the U.S. region chief to boost its ranks

in a key international market.

Hratch Panossian will be CIBC's head of personal and

business banking, while Susan Rimmer will lead commercial

banking and wealth management.

The appointments reflect the fifth largest Canadian bank's

efforts to sharpen its strategic focus ahead of a leadership

shift in November, when Culham will take over as CEO from

veteran Victor Dodig, who is retiring.

Culham joined CIBC in Vancouver as an intern, participating

in its graduate programs. He held senior banking roles in Europe

and Asia before rejoining CIBC in 2008. He became the head of

the capital markets unit in 2015.

Other changes at the company include the appointment of

Christina Kramer as CIBC's chief administrative officer and Amy

South as executive vice president of the CEO's office. Stephen

Scholtz will also become the bank's global chief legal officer.

(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru and Nivedita Balu in

Toronto; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)