H&R Block chairman eyes permanent CEO in 6 months

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Richard Breeden, the new chairman of H&R Block Inc (HRB.N), said he hoped the largest U.S. tax preparer will find a permanent chief executive within six months to replace Mark Ernst, who resigned.

Speaking on CNBC television, Breeden also said that "one way or another," H&R Block is determined to exit the subprime mortgage business.

H&R Block is trying to salvage a sale of part of its Option One Mortgage Corp subprime unit to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP CBS.UL, after an agreement to sell the entire unit broke down.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)