JPMorgan CEO Dimon 'feels really good' after emergency surgery - sources

By Abhishek Manikandan and C Nivedita

(Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co <JPM.N> Chief Executive and Chairman Jamie Dimon told senior colleagues he "feels really good" after undergoing emergency heart surgery, and his doctors are "happy" with his recovery so far, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

The sources said Dimon was expected to fully recover from the surgery, which took place on Thursday and was needed to treat an acute aortic dissection, a condition where the inner lining of the aorta has torn away from the outside wall.

Dimon, 63, has been CEO of JPMorgan for over a decade, and is a larger-than-life figure on Wall Street. Dimon's health scare raised new questions about who will succeed him for the long term. He also battled throat cancer after a diagnosis in 2014 that sidelined him for several months.

Co-presidents and co-chief operating officers Daniel Pinto and Gordon Smith were running operations while Dimon recovers, the bank said on Thursday.

In 2018, while promoting Pinto and Smith, Dimon said that he wanted to stay in the job for five more years.

Industry analysts characterized Pinto and Smith, who are relatively close in age to Dimon, as capable hands at the helm of JPMorgan.

"JPM has developed a deep bench over the years and has succession planning well in hand," said Argus Research analyst Stephen Biggar.

"The elevation of Daniel Pinto and Gordon Smith in early 2018 has allowed them time to better understand the larger organization beyond their segment leadership roles, and they have demonstrated confidence that the organization will be in good hands while the CEO recovers."

(Reporting by Abhishek Manikandan and C Nivedita in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Bharath Manjesh; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Tom Brown and Shailesh Kuber)