Operational Transformation & Best Practices

Responsible for setting overall legal strategy and for all legal functions for a $3.6B corporation and providing advice and counsel to the Chief Executive Officer, the executive leadership team, and the Board of Directors. Lead Legal team, Asset Protection (Loss Prevention) team and facilities support group. Past responsibilities and accomplishments include counseling the Board on the transition to a new Chairman, new CEO, leading the legal team in multiple stock & asset acquisitions, workforce reductions, and successful resolution of a large international claim, two class action law suits and multiple patent trolls and reduced legal, asset protection and facilities support costs.

Ahna Thoreson Severts is the General Counsel for Wilton Brands, a privately held consumer products company. She leads the team providing legal support for all aspects of Wilton's business, including commercial contracts, litigation management, intellectual property, corporate governance, finance, mergers and acquisitions, human resources, employee benefits, executive compensation matters, compliance, marketing, real estate leases for offices and distribution centers in eight states and six countries, and corporate policies. Ahna also serves as secretary to the Board, with responsibility for oversight of Board and Committee processes.

Bruce has been a member of H&R Block’s Legal Department since 2003 and currently leads the U.S. Client Services, Compliance & International Group.

In this role, he has legal oversight responsibility for H&R Block’s global tax return preparation businesses including marketing, privacy, franchising, and intellectual property. He also has operational oversight for H&R Block’s privacy, compliance and anti-fraud programs. H&R Block is one of the world’s largest tax services providers offering tax return preparation services through more than 10,000 company-owned and franchised retail tax offices and through its do-it-yourself tax preparation solutions.

Bruce obtained his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law.