Latest news with #JeffreyJones
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
H&R Block, Inc. Announces Leadership Succession Plan
Jeffrey J. Jones II to Retire After Eight Years; Will Remain Strategic Advisor Curtis Campbell, President of Global Consumer Tax and Chief Product Officer at H&R Block, Named CEO-Elect Appointment Comes After Rigorous Succession Planning Process KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) (the "Company') today announced that Jeffrey J. Jones II has informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire as President and CEO of H&R Block on December 31, 2025, and will remain on the Board until such time. He will continue as a Strategic Advisor at the Company through September 2026. He will be succeeded by Curtis Campbell, currently H&R Block's President of Global Consumer Tax and Chief Product Officer, starting January 1, 2026. Since becoming CEO of H&R Block in 2017, Jones has spearheaded the Company's innovation to address changing consumer needs. The introduction of Upfront Transparent Pricing, as well as efforts under the Block Horizons strategy with a focus on Small Business Services, Spruce mobile banking, and the omnichannel tax experience, including AI Tax Assist, have helped to drive growth and relevance of the H&R Block brand. In addition, under Jones' leadership, the Company increased its quarterly dividend by approximately 70% and repurchased approximately 40% of its shares outstanding, returning over $4.0 billion in capital to shareholders. During his tenure, the Company's stock price increased 123% and its market capitalization grew from $5.5 billion to $7.4 billion. 'On behalf of the Board, I'd like to thank Jeff for his leadership in modernizing the Company's culture and offerings and creating significant shareholder value over the last eight years,' said Board Chair Richard A. Johnson. 'There's no question he leaves the Company well-positioned for the future.' 'Leading H&R Block over the last eight years has been the honor of a lifetime,' said Jones. 'With bold bets to drive growth, the creation of an extraordinary culture and more recently by embracing the potential of AI to augment the human help for which we are known, we have elevated the brand's relevance and created significant shareholder value.' Beyond his customer-focused initiatives, Jones launched highly successful community impact programs including Make Every Block Better, Fund Her Future, and A Fair Shot, all of which have bolstered the Company's commitment to building connections among neighbors and supporting small business owners. Jones indicated that he is proud of the Company's high-performing connected culture and record-high associate engagement, which has led to H&R Block's regular recognition on lists of best places to work and was featured in the 2024 Harvard Business School case study: 'Driving Transformation - Jeff Jones at H&R Block.' Campbell's selection follows a comprehensive succession-planning process. His appointment to succeed Jones as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2026, was unanimously supported by H&R Block's Board of Directors. 'I am thrilled to pass the baton to Curtis, who joined Block in May 2024. He has deep tax industry expertise and is a tremendous fit for Block's culture. Curtis is uniquely positioned to continue driving our transformation and sustainable revenue growth,' said Jones. Johnson added: 'This transition reflects the Board's ongoing commitment to a rigorous, succession planning process focused on identifying the right leader for H&R Block's next chapter, and it is a strong testament to our leadership team's strength and capabilities that we have the right candidate in Curtis. We have the utmost confidence in him as he steps into the President and CEO role, and we look forward to working alongside him to deliver continued results and value for our customers, employees, and shareholders.' Jones and Campbell will work closely to orchestrate a smooth leadership transition until January 1, 2026, when Campbell will assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer and will join the Company's Board as a director. Jones will continue to assist in the transition as a Strategic Advisor at the Company until September 2026. 'I am honored to be chosen to lead this iconic brand and company, which I have deeply admired and respected for many years,' Campbell said. 'Jeff's vision and leadership transformed H&R Block into the remarkable company it is today, and his legacy will be felt for years to come. I am excited to lead our amazing team as we enter our next phase of growth and continue to deliver on our purpose: To provide help and inspire confidence in our clients and communities everywhere.' About Curtis Campbell Curtis Campbell has served as President, Global Consumer Tax and Chief Product Officer of H&R Block since May 2024. In this position, Campbell leads an enterprise-wide agenda to deliver customer-centric strategies and exceptional client and tax professional outcomes with a focus on achieving strong financial performance for the global consumer tax business. Campbell is also responsible for leading enterprise-wide product management excellence. Prior to joining H&R Block, Campbell had a history of success in executive roles, including Managing Vice President-Consumer Auto at Capital One, Vice President-Product Management and Strategy at Intuit, and General Manager-Head of Product at Amazon Web Services. Immediately before joining H&R Block, he served as President and CEO of TaxAct, where, during his five-year tenure, he led TaxAct through a dramatic transformation resulting in double-digit revenue growth. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from The Citadel and a Master of International Business degree from the University of South Carolina. For more information about H&R Block, visit About H&R BlockH&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services, financial products, and small-business solutions. The Company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the Company helps small-business owners thrive with year-round bookkeeping, payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more information, visit H&R Block News. For inquiries, please contact: Media Relations: Lexi Ryan, (816) 877-7076, Media Desk: Mediadesk@ Investor Relations: Jessica Hazel, (816) 854-4214, Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words or variation of words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "commits," "seeks," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "targets," "would," "will," "should," "goal," "could" or "may" or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements provide management's current expectations or predictions of future conditions, events or results. All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future are forward-looking statements. They may include estimates of revenues, client trajectory, income, effective tax rate, earnings per share, cost savings, capital expenditures, dividends, share repurchases, liquidity, capital structure, market share, industry volumes or other financial items, descriptions of management's plans or objectives for future operations, products or services, anticipated effects of leadership changes, or descriptions of assumptions underlying any of the above. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and reflect the Company's good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, but they are not guarantees of future performance or events. Furthermore, the Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions, factors, or expectations, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes, except as required by law. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to a variety of economic, competitive and regulatory factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, that are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently completed fiscal year in the section entitled "Risk Factors" and additional factors we may describe from time to time in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may get such filings for free at our website at You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and, consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties.
Business Wire
11-08-2025
- Health
- Business Wire
ImmunityBio Announces Houston's Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center Is Among the First VA Hospitals to Administer ANKTIVA ® to Bladder Cancer Patients
CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX), a leading immunotherapy company, today announced the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Houston recently became the first VA hospital in the Houston region and one of the first in the U.S. to provide treatment with ANKTIVA ® (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln) to a veteran with bladder cancer. ANKTIVA, the first of its kind immune-boosting, lymphocyte stimulating agent, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). A 2024 study found military exposure to carcinogenic agents was associated with a higher risk for bladder cancer among veterans, making this treatment especially vital for those at the VA. Nationally recognized urologic oncologists at the Houston VA, Dr. Jeffrey Jones and Dr. Jennifer Taylor, were instrumental in bringing this novel treatment to veterans. They are strong advocates for advancing care for those battling bladder cancer. In addition, Dr. Jones, who is also affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine, led efforts to enroll the facility in ImmunityBio's Expanded Access Program (EAP) for rBCG. 'We are honored to see ANKTIVA reaching our nation's veterans,' said Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder, Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of ImmunityBio. 'Drs. Jones' and Taylor's leadership and commitment to innovation are exactly what's needed to expand access to transformative treatments like ANKTIVA across the VA system. This milestone at DeBakey underscores the real-world impact of our mission.' About ANKTIVA The cytokine interleukin-15 (IL-15) plays a crucial role in the immune system by affecting the development, maintenance, and function of key immune cells—NK and CD8+ killer T cells—that are involved in killing cancer cells. By activating NK cells, ANKTIVA overcomes the tumor escape phase of clones resistant to T cells and restores memory T cell activity with resultant prolonged duration of complete response. ANKTIVA is a first-in-class IL-15 receptor superagonist IgG1 fusion complex, consisting of an IL-15 mutant (IL-15N72D) fused with an IL-15Rα, which binds with high affinity to IL-15 receptors on NK, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells. This fusion complex of ANKTIVA, which confers stability and longer half-life than recombinant or native IL-15, mimics the natural biological properties of the membrane-bound IL-15Rα, delivering IL-15 by dendritic cells and drives the activation and proliferation of NK cells with the generation of memory killer T cells that have retained immune memory against these tumor clones. The proliferation of the trifecta of these immune killing cells and the activation of trained immune memory results in immunogenic cell death, inducing a state of equilibrium with durable complete responses. ANKTIVA has improved pharmacokinetic properties, longer persistence in lymphoid tissues, and enhanced anti-tumor activity compared to native, non-complexed IL-15 in-vivo. ANKTIVA was approved by the FDA in 2024 for use in the United States with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for the treatment of adult patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumors. For more information, visit (Founder's Vision) and About ImmunityBio ImmunityBio is a vertically-integrated commercial stage biotechnology company developing next-generation therapies that bolster the natural immune system to defeat cancers and infectious diseases. The Company's range of immunotherapy and cell therapy platforms, alone and together, act to drive and sustain an immune response with the goal of creating durable and safe protection against disease. Designated an FDA Breakthrough Therapy, ANKTIVA is the first FDA-approved immunotherapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer CIS that activates NK cells, T cells, and memory T cells for a long-duration response. The Company is applying its science and platforms to treating cancers, including the development of potential cancer vaccines, as well as developing immunotherapies and cell therapies that we believe sharply reduce or eliminate the need for standard high-dose chemotherapy. These platforms and their associated product candidates are designed to be more effective, accessible, and easily administered than current standards of care in oncology and infectious diseases. For more information, visit (Founder's Vision) and connect with us on X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements regarding clinical trial data and potential results and implications to be drawn therefrom, treatment of patients at VA Medical Centers and in certain geographic locations and potential implications to be drawn therefrom, the development of therapeutics for cancer and infectious diseases, potential benefits to patients, potential treatment outcomes for patients, the described mechanism of action and results and contributions therefrom, potential future uses and applications of ANKTIVA alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents for the prevention or reversal of lymphopenia, potential future uses and applications of ANKTIVA alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents across multiple tumor types and indications and for potential applications beyond oncology, potential regulatory pathways and the regulatory review process and timing thereof, the application of the Company's science and platforms to treat cancers or develop cancer vaccines, immunotherapies and cell therapies that has the potential to change the paradigm in cancer care, and ImmunityBio's approved product and investigational agents as compared to existing treatment options, among others. Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are considered forward-looking statements, which are usually identified by the use of words such as 'anticipates,' 'believes,' 'continues,' 'goal,' 'could,' 'estimates,' 'scheduled,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'may,' 'plans,' 'potential,' 'predicts,' 'indicate,' 'projects,' 'is,' 'seeks,' 'should,' 'will,' 'strategy,' and variations of such words or similar expressions. Statements of past performance, efforts, or results of our preclinical and clinical trials, about which inferences or assumptions may be made, can also be forward-looking statements and are not indicative of future performance or results. Forward-looking statements are neither forecasts, promises nor guarantees, and are based on the current beliefs of ImmunityBio's management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to ImmunityBio. Such information may be limited or incomplete, and ImmunityBio's statements should not be read to indicate that it has conducted a thorough inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. Such statements reflect the current views of ImmunityBio with respect to future events and are subject to known and unknown risks, including business, regulatory, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties, contingencies and assumptions about ImmunityBio, including, without limitation, (i) risks and uncertainties regarding the FDA regulatory submission, filing and review process and the timing thereof, (ii) risks and uncertainties regarding commercial launch execution, success and timing and market access initatives, (iii) risks and uncertainties regarding participation and enrollment and potential results from the expanded access clinical investigation program described herein, (iv) whether clinical trials will result in registrational pathways and the risks, (v) whether clinical trial data will be accepted by regulatory agencies, (vi) the ability of ImmunityBio to continue its planned preclinical and clinical development of its development programs through itself and/or its investigators, and the timing and success of any such continued preclinical and clinical development, patient enrollment and planned regulatory submissions, (vii) potential delays in product availability and regulatory approvals, (viii) ImmunityBio's ability to retain and hire key personnel, (ix) ImmunityBio's ability to obtain additional financing to fund its operations and complete the development and commercialization of its various product candidates, (x) potential product shortages or manufacturing disruptions that may impact the availability and timing of product, (xi) ImmunityBio's ability to successfully commercialize its approved product and product candidates, (xii) ImmunityBio's ability to scale its manufacturing and commercial supply operations for its approved product and future approved products, and (xiii) ImmunityBio's ability to obtain, maintain, protect, and enforce patent protection and other proprietary rights for its product candidates and technologies. More details about these and other risks that may impact ImmunityBio's business are described under the heading 'Risk Factors' in the Company's Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 3, 2025, and the Company's Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 5, 2025, and in subsequent filings made by ImmunityBio with the SEC, which are available on the SEC's website at ImmunityBio cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Top 5 Analyst Questions From H&R Block's Q1 Earnings Call
H&R Block's first quarter results were met with a negative market reaction, despite the company surpassing Wall Street's revenue and non-GAAP profit expectations. Management attributed revenue growth to higher net average charge (NAC) in the U.S. and increased company-owned Assisted return volumes, while acknowledging challenges in international operations and a highly competitive do-it-yourself (DIY) segment. CEO Jeffrey Jones emphasized the impact of a late-season client surge and a continued industry shift towards Assisted tax preparation, highlighting, 'We experienced record-high volumes in our tax offices in the final two days of the season compared to recent history.' Is now the time to buy HRB? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $2.28 billion vs analyst estimates of $2.25 billion (4.2% year-on-year growth, 1.3% beat) Adjusted EPS: $5.38 vs analyst estimates of $5.17 (4.1% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $1.01 billion vs analyst estimates of $984.2 million (44.4% margin, 2.8% beat) The company reconfirmed its revenue guidance for the full year of $3.72 billion at the midpoint Management reiterated its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance of $5.25 at the midpoint EBITDA guidance for the full year is $997.5 million at the midpoint, in line with analyst expectations Operating Margin: 43%, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $7.48 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Kartik Mehta (Northcoast Research) questioned the shift from DIY to Assisted filings and why the Assisted segment continues to outpace expectations. CEO Jeffrey Jones attributed this to consumer uncertainty and the importance of expert help during tax season. Scott Schneeberger (Oppenheimer & Co.) asked about the decline in franchise operations and the impact of franchise buybacks. CFO Tiffany Mason explained that most of the decline was due to buybacks, not organic weakness, and highlighted the attractive returns from this strategy. Scott Schneeberger (Oppenheimer & Co.) also inquired about the competitive dynamics in the DIY segment, especially around paid vs. free filers. Jones stated that H&R Block focused on paid clients rather than pursuing volume for free filers amid heavy competitor promotions. George Tong (Goldman Sachs) addressed the difference between H&R Block's Assisted volume growth and the broader industry's performance. Jones acknowledged improved conversion and retention, particularly among higher-value clients, but noted the company has more work to do to gain share. Alexander Paris (Barrington Research) probed the effect of tax filing deadline extensions on volumes. Mason clarified that most extensions shift some volume into the next quarter, but the overall impact is not material to full-year guidance. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will monitor (1) the effectiveness of H&R Block's initiatives to drive retention and conversion among higher-value Assisted clients, (2) adoption and monetization of digital and AI-enabled services in both DIY and Assisted channels, and (3) the impact of further franchise buybacks and integration on operating performance. Shifts in consumer filing timing and regulatory developments will also be important markers for tracking strategic progress. H&R Block currently trades at $55.90, down from $61.64 just before the earnings. At this price, is it a buy or sell? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Los Angeles Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
National pride is declining in America. And it's splitting by party lines, new Gallup polling shows
WASHINGTON — Only 36% of Democrats say they're 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American, according to a new Gallup poll, reflecting a dramatic decline in national pride that's also clear among young people. The findings are a stark illustration of how many — but not all — Americans have felt less of a sense of pride in their country over the past decade. The split between Democrats and Republicans, at 56 percentage points, is at its widest since 2001. That includes all four years of Republican President Trump's first term. Only about 4 in 10 U.S. adults who are part of Generation Z, which is defined as those born from 1997 to 2012, expressed a high level of pride in being American in Gallup surveys conducted in the past five years, on average. That's compared with about 6 in 10 millennials — those born between 1980 and 1996 — and at least 7 in 10 U.S. adults in older generations. 'Each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else,' said Jeffrey Jones, a senior editor at Gallup. 'But even among the older generations, we see that they're less patriotic than the ones before them, and they've become less patriotic over time. That's primarily driven by Democrats within those generations.' America's decline in national pride has been a slow erosion, with a steady downtick in Gallup's data since January 2001, when the question was first asked. Even during the tumultuous early years of the Iraq War, the vast majority of U.S. adults, whether Republican or Democrat, said they were 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American. At that point, about 9 in 10 were 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American. That remained high in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but the consensus around American pride slipped in the years that followed, dropping to about 8 in 10 in 2006 and continuing a gradual decline. Now, 58% of U.S. adults say that, in a downward shift that's been driven almost entirely by Democrats and independents. The vast majority of Republicans continue to say they're proud to be American. Independents' pride in their national identity hit a new low in the most recent survey, at 53%, largely following that pattern of gradual decline. Democrats' diminished pride in being American is more clearly linked to Trump's time in office. When Trump first entered the White House, in 2017, about two-thirds of Democrats said they were proud to be American. That had fallen to 42% by 2020, just before Trump lost reelection to Democrat Joe Biden. But while Democrats' sense of national pride rebounded when Biden took office, it didn't go back to its pre-Trump levels. 'It's not just a Trump story,' Jones said. 'Something else is going on, and I think it's just younger generations coming in and not being as patriotic as older people.' Other recent polling shows that Democrats and independents are less likely than Republicans to say that expressing patriotism is important or to feel a sense of pride in their national leaders. Nearly 9 in 10 Republicans in a 2024 SSRS poll said they believed patriotism has a positive impact on the United States, with Democrats more divided: 45% said patriotism had a positive impact on the country, while 37% said it was negative. But a more general sense of discontent was clear on both sides of the aisle earlier this year, when a CNN/SSRS poll found that fewer than 1 in 10 Democrats and Republicans said 'proud' described the way they felt about politics in America today. In that survey, most Americans across the political spectrum said they were 'disappointed' or 'frustrated' with the country's politics. Sanders and Thomson-Deveaux write for the Associated Press.
Fox News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Americans' pride in their country is declining, new Gallup poll shows
With Independence Day nearly upon us, a new Gallup poll shows that pride in America is declining, splitting along party lines. The Gallup report shows that a record-low number of U.S. adults expressed that they are "extremely" or "very" proud to be an American. Only 41% of adults say they are extremely proud to be an American, while 17% are very proud to be an American, a nine-point drop from last year. The data indicate a plummeting sense of pride in America over the past decade. Furthermore, the report explained further that there is a 56-point gap between Republicans (92% extremely or very proud) and Democrats (36%). Democrats are a major factor in the significant drop in U.S. pride in 2025, down 26 points from 62% last year. Jeffrey Jones, a senior editor at Gallup, wrote that "each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else." "But even among the older generations, we see that they're less patriotic than the ones before them, and they've become less patriotic over time. That's primarily driven by Democrats within those generations," Jones wrote. As far as Gen Z Democrats, only 32% say they are extremely or very proud. Gen Z Republicans also showed less pride than previous generations of Republicans. The Gallup poll added the findings were conducted before Trump's decision to strike Iran on June 21 and "it is unknown whether Americans' national pride has been affected by that action." "In addition to the 58% of U.S. adults who are extremely or very proud, 19% say they are 'moderately' proud, 11% 'only a little' proud and 9% 'not at all' proud," Gallup reported. "The combined 20% on the lower end of the pride scale essentially ties the record 21% measured in 2020. Until 2018, less than 10% of U.S. adults had consistently said they had little or no national pride." Americans who registered as independents indicated a drop in pride since last year and has been on a steady decline over the past two decades.
