Wells Fargo's Stan Kelly to retire

Wells Fargo announced Wednesday that its lead regional president for the Carolinas, Stan Kelly, will retire over the summer after a three-decade career with the bank.

Kelly is responsible for retail and small business banking across North and South Carolina, a region that encompasses 5,000 employees and 450 branches.

He joined Wachovia as a personal banker in Winston-Salem, and later led operations in Forsyth County, Raleigh and in Wachovia Wealth Management. Kelly continues to work out of the Charlotte and Winston-Salem offices.

“When I think about the definition of a great community banker, I think about Stan Kelly,” Carrie Tolstedt, head of community banking for Wells Fargo, said in a statement.

Kelly was a key figure in the integration of Wells Fargo and Wachovia, the Charlotte bank Wells bought in 2009.

Wells Fargo is conducting a "thorough search" for a replacement.