H&R Block names Smyth as CEO

H&R Block Inc. has hired Russ Smyth as CEO, effective Aug. 1.

Smyth succeeds Alan Bennett, who had been interim CEOsince Mark Ernst resigned as CEO in November. Block also elected Smyth to its board.

Smyth most recently was president of McDonald’s Europe, a division of McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD), where he was responsible for 6,300 retail locations in 51 countries with aggregate revenue of more than $6.7 billion, Kansas City-based Block (NYSE: HRB) said in a release Tuesday.

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Earlier, Smyth was president of McDonald’s Partner Brands, where he had responsibility for alternative franchise platforms and diversification. Before that, he had senior operating responsibilities for McDonald’s in Asia and Latin America.

Prior to McDonald’s, Smyth worked for 13 years in the financial realm, serving in a series of financial accounting or controller positions, including European controller based in London before returning to the U.S. as international controller.

Smyth has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in accounting science from Northern Illinois University. He started his career on the audit staff of what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“Russ has excellent experience working with a powerful brand and delivering consistently high-quality performance across a vast retail network,” Block Chairman Richard Breeden said in the release. “He also has extensive experience with finance and accounting, and appreciates the critical importance of improving returns on capital.”

Block said that it also has nominated Bennett for election to its board at the company’s annual shareholders meeting in September.

Block ranks No. 3 on the Kansas City Business Journal’s list of area public companies.