A (first) year to remember
From the first day of kindergarten to the first birthday, first car, first anniversary and first time filing taxes, life is full of firsts.
In that spirit, H&R Block president and CEO Jeff Jones chatted about his first year at the helm (he officially joined Block on this day last year). While this is far from his first job, having 365 days in the rear view is still a milestone worth marking even as the CEO.
And, within that milestone, Jones says there have been so many great moments and learnings. Among the best, he notes: Spending time with H&R Block co-founder Henry Bloch and gaining a strong sense of the company’s history and purpose.
Those one-on-one chats – as well as countless conversations Jones had with associates and franchisees in a (seemingly non-stop) nationwide tour during his first six months – helped to solidify the company’s new growth strategy introduced this summer.
In talking with teams on the front lines of client service, “it was all about ‘customers’ and ‘help’ and ‘being of service to our communities,’” says Jones. “Almost no one was talking about ‘taxes.’”
Hear more of Jones’ insights as he looks back on his first year and ahead to the future (even sharing his own “first-day experience” with new Block associates Cameron Weaver and Linda Defeo who just happened to be grabbing lunch on their first day with the company).
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Mary Ann Luther
ContributorHow taxes affect everyday life is one of Mary Ann Luther’s favorite subjects. But medicine, insurance, engineering and education are right up there. She’s covered them all as a writer and/or editor for The Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma TODAY magazine, GEICO and The Catholic University of America, and as a freelancer for many more. Luther earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from University of Missouri-Columbia. Go, Tigers!