June 18 (Reuters) - U.S. bank BNY has hired British energy giant BP's executive Leigh-Ann Russell as its chief information officer (CIO), it said on Tuesday.

Russell will succeed Bridget Engle, who is stepping down in September after nearly seven years in the role.

"This is without a doubt certainly the biggest opportunity in my career," said Russell, who will report to BNY CEO Robin Vince.

BNY oversees nearly $50 trillion of assets and is the oldest bank in the United States.

Most recently, Russell was the executive vice president of innovation and engineering at BP, where she oversaw digital, information technology, cyber and other operations. (Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)