By Melissa Shin and Christine Dobby
(Bloomberg) — Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce named Christian Exshaw group head of capital markets, part of a series of appointments that accompany Harry Culham becoming chief executive officer later this year.
Exshaw, who will have the title of senior executive vice president and replace Culham overseeing capital markets on Nov. 1, has been deputy head of capital markets since September and with the bank since 2008, according to his LinkedIn profile. Culham became chief operating officer in April and will succeed Victor Dodig as CEO on Nov. 1.
“From his early days on the trading floor to his many years in key leadership roles across capital markets, Christian is known for his clear focus on our clients, execution, innovation and bringing a growth mindset to our bank,” Culham said in a statement.
Shawn Beber, head of CIBC’s US business, will become a special adviser on Nov. 1 and retire on July 1, 2026. Beber, who joined the bank in 2002, previously served as chief risk officer and general counsel. He’ll be replaced in the US oversight role by Kevin Li, currently head of global investment banking. Li has been with CIBC since 1994.
Also retiring are Kikelomo Lawal, the bank’s chief legal officer, and Jon Hountalas, vice chair of North American banking. Lawal is being replaced by Stephen Scholtz, who was most recently general counsel for Canada and has been with CIBC for almost two decades.
Also getting new roles or responsibilities as part of the changes:
- Christina Kramer will become chief administrative officer.
- Hratch Panossian will add oversight of contact centers and client marketing to his role as head of personal and business banking.
- Susan Rimmer will oversee CIBC Caribbean as head of commercial banking and wealth management.
- Amy South will be executive vice president in the office of the CEO and chief of staff.
CIBC, Canada’s fifth-largest bank, has seen several leadership changes in its capital-markets business in the past year and a half. In May, it hired Alfred Traboulsi to lead its US investment-banking team.
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Last modified: August 12, 2025