Costa Mesa, Calif. - May 15, 2003 - RSM EquiCo, a leading global investment banking firm for the private middle market, has named Margaret A. Thurmond as chief financial officer.

Ms. Thurmond brings to RSM EquiCo more than 20 years of experience, most recently as senior vice president and chief financial officer of myCFO, Inc. She is a former vice president of finance for Kinko's, Inc., director of finance and administration for Deloitte & Touche, chief financial officer for Associated Travel International and managing director of finance for American Airlines. Ms. Thurmond also previously served as a full-time instructor for the master's degree program in the college of business at the University of Texas at Arlington.

At RSM EquiCo, she will be responsible for managing accounting, human resources, information technology and facilities functions, and will serve on the company's executive committee.

"We are pleased to welcome Ms. Thurmond to our growing organization," said Coby Sonenshine, RSM EquiCo president. "She is an accomplished finance executive with global experience and a proven record of leadership and innovation. We expect her to play an integral role in the continuing development of our company."

Ms. Thurmond holds a master's degree in professional accounting and a bachelor's degree in business administration/accounting from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a certified public accountant in the State of Texas and a member of the Financial Executives Institute and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She has authored numerous articles and was nominated to serve on the national board of directors of Beta Alpha Psi.

RSM EquiCo, Inc. specializes in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and corporate finance for private middle-market businesses. RSM EquiCo is part of RSM McGladrey Business Services, a business segment of H&R Block. RSM EquiCo has approximately 330 professionals and support personnel in the United States, with additional staff and resources in London. The firm is based in Costa Mesa, Calif. For more information, visit www.rsmequico.com.