Forty Under 40: Chelsea Shaffer, 35
by January 1, 2011 12:00 am 607 views
Chelsea Shaffer said finance was always a natural fit for her.
“I like numbers,” she said. “I’ve always been good with math.”
Shaffer recently began working at Coca-Cola, where she is responsible for leading a team in shaping the direction the company takes within the marketplace with regard to planning, pricing and trade management.
Before Coca-Cola, she worked at Del Monte Foods, where she managed the finance department.
Shaffer attended college at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, earning a degree in business administration in 2002. She worked in the banking industry there before returning to Northwest Arkansas to be closer to family, and is currently working on her MBA at John Brown University.
When she’s not working or studying, Shaffer is usually volunteering. She makes deliveries for Meals on Wheels every Thursday, and works with the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter and the Single Parent Scholarship Fund.
“I just like helping people,” she said. “It’s about realizing what people have gone through and I know what I’m doing is very small compared to the big picture.”
In addition to her job at Coca Cola, Shaffer helps her husband run their business, the Smoke & Barrel Tavern in downtown Fayetteville, and is working on a plan to open a brewery and distillery.