- Elena Malykhina

H&R Block has appointed Robert Turtledove as CMO to oversee the tax service company's marketing and communications programs.

Prior to joining H&R Block, Turtledove served as chief marketer of TheLadders.com, an executive job search Web site. He also held senior marketing positions, including svp of marketing and concept development, with MetroMedia Restaurant Group—the owner of Ponderosa, Steak & Ale, Bonanza and Bennigan’s.

Turtledove's experience spans across other restaurant businesses like Pizza Hut, where he served as vp of marketing, as well as well-known brands that include Pepsi and Frito-Lay.

"We are delighted to have [Turtledove] come aboard at this important time for H&R Block as we pursue renewed growth in clients and market share," said Russ Smyth, president and CEO of H&R Block, in a statement.

The move comes as H&R Block has shifted creative duties on its ad account to Omnicom Group's DDB from Interpublic Group's Campbell Mithun. DDB will handle the company's traditional advertising and digital efforts via its Tribal DDB subsidiary.

H&R Block has been without a CMO since November 2007, when Brad Iversen left the post. Turtledove will oversee all initiatives related to marketing and communications, including the company's new partnership with DDB, said an H&R Block rep.

Meanwhile, H&R Block is stepping up marketing efforts in general. The company spent $105 million on measured media in 2008, compared to nearly $130 million in the first four months of this year, per Nielsen.