Chris Shafer

Chris’s journey to the Center for Accounting Transformation is a story of curiosity, creativity, and a relentless pursuit of innovative solutions. Growing up in a small Connecticut town, Chris was the quintessential comic book nerd. He devoured stories of Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Avengers, his imagination fueled by the vibrant illustrations and heroic tales. This early love for art led him to the Rhode Island School of Design, where he honed his skills in illustration.

The path from comic books to cutting-edge product strategy was anything but straightforward. When Chris Shafer graduated, the field of UX design was in its infancy. As the digital world evolved, so did Chris’s career. He spent years in the fast-paced environment of digital marketing agencies, working with some of the biggest names in the industry. At Modem Media, a pioneer in the digital marketing space, Chris helped formalize their user experience practice, working on projects for IBM, GM, and Kodak. It was here that Chris truly learned to marry business goals with user needs, crafting experiences that were both effective and engaging.

Chris’s journey has taken him from Modem Media to Vindicet Healthcare, Travelers Insurance, and MResult, before coming to the Center. Here, his wealth of experience in products strategy and UX design, coupled with a natural curiosity and passion for problem-solving will be put to the test as he tackles the challenges of the accounting profession. At the Center, Chris sees an opportunity to blend academic rigor with practical solutions, helping to shape the future of accounting with research-based products and services.

When he’s not pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in UX design, Chris immerses himself in his love of gardening by transforming his three-quarter-acre lot into a haven of native plants and woodland gardens, which takes a close second to his favorite past-time: spending time with his wife and three kids.