Jeff Brown has been promoted to the top finance spot at tax-services provider H&R Block Inc. Brown, who has been serving as interim CFO, had been corporate controller.
Verizon Communications Inc. has selected Francis Shammo to lead the finance function, effective November 1. He replaces John Killian, who has announced his intention to retire. Currently, Shammo is president of Verizon Telecom and Business.
Real estate investment trust MFA Financial Inc. has named Stephen Yarad as its new finance chief. He takes over from William Gorin, who will remain president of the firm. Yarad is a former partner at KPMG LLP.
Brinker International Inc. has announced that CFO Charles Sonsteby has resigned, effective October 1. Sonsteby, who has served in that role since 2001, will be replaced at the casual-dining company by Guy Constant, vice president of finance and CFO of Brinker’s Chili’s Grill & Bar chain.
Mike Phillips has been named to head finance at software company Micro Focus International plc. He joins the firm from Morse plc, where he was CEO.
Regal Beloit Corp., which manufactures power-generation and motion-control products, has named Charles Hinrichs to the top finance spot. He is a former CFO of Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.
U.S. Preventive Medicine Inc. has appointed Craig Niemiec to lead the finance function, succeeding Rick Scauzillo, who will become chief accounting officer. Previously, Niemiec was CFO of McKesson Technology Solutions.
Arie Rand has been named CFO and treasurer at Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) company deltathree Inc. He will start at the firm in early October and take over the roles in mid-October when the resignation of current CFO and treasurer Ziv Zviel becomes effective. Rand was most recently a consultant to deltathree; before that, he was a senior executive at SRI Global Group Funds.
Luxury-home builder Toll Brothers Inc. has promoted Martin Connor to the roles of CFO and treasurer following the death of Joel Rassman earlier this month. Connor has been at the company since 2008, when he joined as assistant CFO.
Michael Larsen will take over from Helen Cornell as head of finance at manufacturer Gardner Denver Inc., effective October 11. Previously, he was CFO of General Electric Water & Process Technologies.