Celebrating Our 2026 Trailblazers: Shane Fairchild, CPA

Meet Shane Fairchild, CPA

Shane Fairchild, CPA, is a leader, mentor, and strong advocate for the accounting profession. Inspired by his grandfather, longtime Oklahoma CPA and educator Harold Spradlin, Shane discovered accounting early and declared it as his major on his first day at the University of Oklahoma, where he later earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He began his career at Ernst & Young, spending seven years building technical expertise and leadership experience before stepping into his current role as CFO at Price Edwards & Company.

Beyond his professional work, Shane is committed to mentoring others and giving back to his community. He is an active member of the OSCPA and has volunteered with United Way of Central Oklahoma for several years through financial review and community investment efforts. Whether training future CPAs, supporting local nonprofits, or leading within his organization, Shane believes strong leadership starts with investing in others.

What He Has to Say

OSCPA: Why did you decide to become a CPA? 

Fairchild: My grandfather was a CPA in Oklahoma City and had a distinguished career, including a tenure at the former "Big 8" firm—Peat Marwick Mitchel—and even owned his own firm for a period. He was also a professor of accountancy at Oklahoma City University. He always spoke very highly of both the "art" and "science" of accounting. In today's world, accounting may be more of a science than it once was, but his example and praise for the profession led me to take an Accounting 101 course at Oklahoma City Community College when I was a senior in high school. I knew very quickly that this profession was for me. I declared accounting as my major on my first day at the University of Oklahoma and never looked back. 

OSCPA: What has been your proudest moment in your career so far? 

Fairchild: I can’t point to one single moment. But I will say my proudest moments have often come after the hardest trials. I recall one particularly difficult client engagement where nothing was going right, and the goal seemed almost impossible. Yet the team rallied to complete the work on time, at the highest level of quality, and subsequently passed a very rigorous internal quality review. I also recall delivering difficult news to a client, choosing to take ownership of the team’s failure and being honest about what went wrong, yet they were more understanding than they had a right to be. More often than not, the most fulfilling moments have come from sharing what I’ve learned with others. I’ve benefited from strong leaders throughout my career and value the opportunity to pass those lessons along.

OSCPA: What do you hope to accomplish in your career? 

Fairchild: At the end of the day, I hope my career is marked by the impact I’ve made on those around me, whether through client and team relationships that continue long after an engagement ends or by training and mentoring growing professionals. Teaching and training have always been something I enjoy, and I spent much of my time with EY in the firm’s faculty network. A few years ago, I also did a short stint as an adjunct accounting professor, and I’d like to return to that at some point.

Accomplishments