Sept 24 (Reuters) - Bank of Montreal's ( BERZ ) Shannon

Kennedy has decided to retire after a tenure of over five years,

according to a LinkedIn post on Tuesday by Kevin Barnes, bank's

private wealth head for North America.

Kennedy, in her most recent role, acted as the chief

executive of the Canadian lender's U.S. wealth management unit.

An industry veteran who had joined the bank in 2019, Kennedy

has had a distinguished career, including significant roles at

custodian BNY's wealth management unit and asset and

wealth manager Northern Trust ( NTRS ).

"Her expertise around our ultra-high net worth pillars, and

energy for serving our clients with excellence as we win the

West, has been highly impactful for our business," Barnes said

in his post.

Meanwhile, Michele Havens, also an industry veteran, would

join the bank as head of its U.S. private wealth unit, the post

added.

The private wealth unit caters to high-net-worth and

ultra-high-net-worth clients, providing investing, banking and

wealth advisory services.

In 2023, the private wealth unit accounted for 47% of BMO

wealth management's total revenue, according to its annual

report.

Havens had previously worked for Northern Trust ( NTRS ) for over two

decades after her tenure at the largest U.S. bank, JPMorgan

Chase ( JPM ).