H&R Block Executives Host International Businesswomen in Kansas City as Part of U.S. State Department Program

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Two H&R Block executives, Karen Orosco, president of global consumer tax and service delivery and Tiffany Monroe, chief people and culture officer, are hosting two international businesswomen in Kansas City, Mo., as part of the Fortune - U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership, a public-private partnership between Fortune Most Powerful Women, the U.S. Department of State, and Vital Voices Global Partnership. Neha Mehta, founder & chief executive of FemTech Partners in India, and Yara Argueta, independent consultant and board member in Guatemala, will be mentored by Orosco and Monroe through May 23.

“One of the most important ways women can be empowered is when we lift each other up,” said Orosco. “Mentoring women has been a constant in my career, and this mentorship program between Fortune’s Most Power Women, Vital Voices and the U.S. State Department is a great example of learning from each other and transferring knowledge from businesswomen in the U.S. and around the globe.”

During the week, mentees Mehta and Argueta will experience leadership and networking opportunities at H&R Block before ending next week in New York City with a capstone dinner led by Fortune’s Most Powerful Women. Both Argueta and Mehta look forward to expanding their professional network by meeting leaders at Block and gathering insights that help them achieve their business goals and advance their own professional development.

“I’ve done a lot in my life to help others, but I have to say the biggest accomplishment of my career thus far has to be this experience,” Mehta said. “The knowledge I will get from being here this week and staying in touch with my mentor, Karen, is amazing. Knowing I have a friend in Kansas City I can call for professional wisdom when I feel stuck is a comforting feeling. I was very lucky to be placed at H&R Block for this, as I see financial services for everyone as a big inspiration in my career.”

In addition to the mentorship program, H&R Block has committed to empowering women as a member of the Catalyst CEO Champions for Change, through which the company pledges to increase the representation of women, including women of color, among senior leadership and Board of Director positions, and the company participates in the Gender and Diversity KPI Alliance, agreeing to consistently collect, manage and report against three key performance indicators to measure and improve gender and diversity. Most recently, President and CEO Jeff Jones became a member of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism, which joins moral and market imperatives to build a more inclusive, sustainable, and trusted economic system.

“At H&R Block, we believe fostering diverse ideas makes our company stronger, and making sure women’s voices are heard is an important part of this,” said Monroe. “This program is just one way we can share our perspectives while we learn from their experiences, too. We’re excited to host them in Kansas City and look forward to the collaboration of the mentorship program.”

About H&R Block

H&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 also be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the company helps small-business owners thrive with innovative products like Wave Money, a mobile-first, small-business bank account and bookkeeping solution, that manages bookkeeping automatically. For more information, visit H&R Block News or follow @HRBlockNews on Twitter.

About the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) builds relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional, and private exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the United States, support U.S. international leadership, and provide a broad range of domestic benefits by helping break down barriers that often divide us. ECA programs build connections that engage and empower people and motivate them to become leaders and thinkers, to develop new skills, and to find connections that will create positive change in their communities. For more information, please visit https://exchanges.state.gov/us.

About Vital Voices Global Partnership

Vital Voices Global Partnership invests in women leaders who are solving the world’s greatest challenges. They are “venture catalysts,” identifying those with a daring vision for change and partnering with them to make that vision a reality. Vital Voices scales and accelerates impact through long term investments to expand skills, connections, capacity and visibility. Over the last 24 years, Vital Voices has built a network of 20,000 change makers across 184 countries who are collectively daring to reimagine a more equitable world for all. Learn more at www.vitalvoices.org.

For Further Information

Media Relations:         Angela Davied, (816) 854-5798, angela.davied@hrblock.com