About Brian Schaffner

Current Roles
Brian Schaffner is Assistant Professor of Accounting & Management at Walla Walla University and current CEO of a for-profit company.  In July 2026, he was appointed as the Lily Wong Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Walla Walla University.  He teaches courses in accounting, management, and entrepreneurship. He is passionate about student learning, and he routinely claims that “Accounting is Fun!”.  He strives to bring joy, enthusiasm, and applied relevance to his classroom.

Education
Schaffner holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Walla Walla University, along with a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Professional & Academic Journey
Schaffner, who has taught at WWU since 2021, is a proud WWU graduate with four generations of family who have attended. To enrich his classroom, he draws from decades of professional business positions, including CEO, CFO, CIO, Director/Trustee, Controller, and Owner.  Business start-ups are his passion.  If you want to be your own boss, he has a like mind and would love to help make your dreams a reality.  His well-rounded experience includes time serving in the healthcare, student success, educational service, retail, vehicle dealership, and manufacturing industries.  He has earned the WWU School of Business Teaching Excellence Award.

Beyond the Classroom
Schaffner is married to Linda, a like-minded student success professional, and is the proud father of Samuel (WWU 2023) and Jonathan (WWU attending) and grandfather of Maverick (projected WWU 2049).  He enjoys the outdoors and is an avid cyclist.