Tax season may be wrapping up this month but H&R Block will soon have a new top marketer who is just getting started. The tax prep company announced today the hire of Jill Cress as chief marketing and experience officer.
Cress, a marketing industry veteran with stints at Mastercard and National Geographic Partners, most recently served as VP of brand marketing at PayPal for more than two years. She starts at H&R Block on May 2, reporting to CEO Jeff Jones, a former CMO of Target.
Jones called Cress “one of the premier strategic marketing leaders in the United States,” in a statement, citing her work delivering revenue growth and cultural relevance from engagement strategies and digital experiences.
H&R Block's latest marketing includes highlighting female sports players. The push, “A Fair Shot,” is part of the brand’s commitment of $1 million to sponsor female college athletes in sports such as basketball, softball and gymnastics. H&R Block is also providing free tax prep for women athletes to help adjust to a new policy from the NCAA that allows them to profit from paid brand sponsorship with their name, image and likeness.
In February, H&R Block reported a 12% rise in second-quarter revenue to $159 million. The company also introduced a new mobile banking platform called Spruce, which extends the brand’s role beyond the tax season to be a year-round financial resource for customers.
