BMO Financial Group is shuffling leadership roles in its North American personal and business banking group and hiring a longtime Bank of America executive to oversee three stateside businesses. Aron Levine will serve as group head and president of BMO U.S. He will lead the company’s U.S. personal and business banking, commercial banking and wealth management units, the bank said. Levine will join BMO’s executive committee and its U.S. management group. He will be based in Chicago, where BMO’s U.S. operations are headquartered, and he will report to BMO CEO Darryl White and BMO U.S. CEO Darrel Hackett. Levine’s hiring is one of several executive changes that BMO announced Thursday, most of which will become effective on July 7. They appear to be driven at least in part by the pending retirement of Erminia “Ernie” Johannson, the head of BMO’s North American personal and business banking group since 2020. Johannson plans to step down from that role in early 2026, the bank said. Johannson, a frequent American Banker Most Powerful Women in Banking honoree who was No. 9 on last year’s list, has played a key role in BMO’s U.S. expansion, most recently leading the 2023 integration of the company’s acquisition of Bank of the West. The deal catapulted BMO into the ranks of the top 20 banks in the nation based on assets. With Johannson’s expected exit, BMO is divvying up her responsibilities. Sharon Haward-Laird will be promoted to group head of Canadian commercial banking and North American shared services, as well as co-head of Canadian personal and commercial banking. Mat Mehrotra will become group head of Canadian personal and business banking, and will join Haward-Laird as co-head of Canadian personal and commercial banking, according to the company. Haward-Laird is currently BMO’s general counsel and will remain on the company’s executive committee after starting in her new role. Mehrotra, who is currently BMO’s chief digital officer and head of Canadian products, will join the executive committee. They both will report to White. Nadim Hirji will be promoted to vice chair of BMO commercial banking. Hirji has overseen BMO’s North American commercial banking business since 2023. His new role will focus on growth initiatives in commercial banking in Canada and the U.S. Mona Malone, BMO’s chief human resources officer and a member of the executive committee, will gain the additional title of chief administrative officer. Malone will lead marketing, communications, human resources, corporate estate and procurement. She will report to White and also serve on the U.S. management committee. Paul Noble, who is currently BMO’s chief legal officer, will succeed Haward-Laird as general counsel and become group head of legal and regulatory compliance. He will join BMO’s executive committee and report to White.