Indian-American Nandita Bakshi has been appointed president and CEO of Bank of the West, a unit of BNP Paribas. Bakshi, 57, will replace Michael Shepherd. She is joining the bank as a CEO-in-training and will take the helm officially on June 1. Bakshi, a bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Calcutta and a masters in International Relations and Affairs at Jadavpur University, had held several leadership roles at TD Bank, the most recent being executive vice president and head of North American direct channels. A New England News ‘Woman of the Year’ award recipient in 2002, she also serves on the board of the Consumer Bankers Association.