Bank of New York Mellon Corp CEO Bob Kelly told the bank's senior managers he is not interested in the top job at Bank of America Corp , defusing speculation that he would leave his current post.

Kelly, in an email on Thursday, noted recent press reports linking him with Bank of America's search for a successor to Ken Lewis, who is stepping down as CEO at the end of the year.

I want to be clear: I am not interested, Kelly wrote.

A copy of the email was obtained by Reuters. A Bank of New York Mellon spokesman confirmed the email's validity but declined to comment further.

Kelly, a former chief financial officer at Wachovia Corp, has been seen as a possible successor to Lewis. Observers said his experience in running the world's largest trust bank, and at retail-oriented Wachovia, would have been a good fit for Bank of America.

Kelly said in the email that he is not interested in leaving Bank of New York Mellon, which he sees as well positioned for the future.

I look forward to crafting the future with you, Kelly wrote to the bank's senior managers.

(Reporting by Joe Rauch; editing by John Wallace)

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