H&R Block, the $3.9 billion tax service provider,named Jeffrey Brown CFO and senior vice president.Brown has served as acting CFO since Becky Shulmanleft the Kansas City, Mo.-based company at the end of April. Brown,51, had been H&R Block's corporate controller since 2008.Earlier, he was assistant controller of a subsidiary, H&R BlockManagement, and before that was director of that unit's corporateaccounting. Brown previously served as controller atBacou-Dalloz.

Nalco, a $3.7 billion water treatment companyin Naperville, Ill., named Kathryn Mikells CFO andexecutive vice president. She replaces Brad Bell,who is retiring. Mikells, 44, is currently CFO of UAL Corp., theparent of United Airlines, and will begin her new job when United'smerger with Continental is final. Before being named CFO of UAL in2008, Mikells served as vice president of investor relations forUnited and before that as treasurer. She joined United in 1994 as afinancial analyst.

Brinker International, the $2.9 billionoperator and franchiser of chain restaurants including Chili'sGrill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy, named GuyConstant CFO and executive vice president. He replacesCharles Sonsteby, who left to become CFO ofMichaels Stores. Constant, 45, had been the Dallas, Texas-basedcompany's senior vice president of finance and CFO of Chili's.Since joining Brinker in 2004, Constant has worked in finance,compensation and investor relations.

Toll Brothers, a $1.8 billion luxuryhomebuilder in Horsham, Pa., appointed MartinConnor CFO and treasurer. He replaces JoelRassman, who died in September after a long illness.Connor, 46, joined Toll Brothers in 2008 as assistant CFO. Prior tojoining Toll Brothers, he was president of Marcon Advisors, afinance and accounting consulting firm, CFO and director ofoperations for O'Neill Properties, a commercial real estatedeveloper, and an audit partner at Ernst & Young, where heworked on the Toll Brothers account.

Harris Interactive, a $168 million marketresearch firm, named Pavan Bhalla CFO, treasurerand executive vice president. He replaces EricNarowski, the company's interim CFO since November.Narowski continues as principal accounting officer, globalcontroller, and senior vice president. Bhalla, 47, was previouslyCFO for the HR outsourcing division of Hewitt Associates, which wasrecently acquired by Aon. From 2006 to 2008, he was Hewitt'scontroller. Prior to joining Hewitt, Bhalla was senior vicepresident of finance for MCI.

MFA Financial, a New York City-based realestate investment trust that focuses on residential mortgage-backedsecurities, appointed Stephen Yarad CFO. Hereplaces William Gorin, MFA's CFO since 2001 andits president since 2008. Gorin will continue to serve aspresident. Yarad, 40, was a financial services audit practicepartner with KPMG in New York for almost 20 years. MFA had $504million in interest and dividend income in 2009.