Schaeffer grounded in connection, global in vision

Over the last 23 years, Scott Schaeffer ’92 has had the opportunity to work all over the world, from places such as St. Louis, New York, Chicago, and Houston to Calgary, Moscow, and eastern Siberia.

Schaeffer is now settled in Calgary and began his role as president for BP Canada Energy Group ULC on Oct. 1, 2024. A native of Brandon, Manitoba, he started his college education at Minot State University in 1988 after being recruited for the MSU football program.

“I was recruited along with some high school buddies of mine by the then coach, Randy Hedberg ’77, who is the older brother of Rick Hedberg ’89, currently the executive director of the MSU (Development) Foundation,” he said. “It was through the efforts of Randy Hedberg recruiting a group of players from a high school team in Brandon that brought me to Minot State in the fall of 1988.”

Over the next four years, the accounting major developed relationships on and off the field, from friendships to mentoring.

“For me, what stands out over the four years was really two things. One was the friendships that were developed that I still have today with individuals, as chance would have it from North Dakota and Montana primarily. No doubt, it was partially through the football team. And the second thing that stands out for me was the honors program, which exists today and actually began during my first year at the University,” Schaeffer said. “It was led by the science department professor, Ron Royer. I had the good fortune of benefiting from the foresight and guidance of Ron Royer through the honors program.

“He was kind enough to take an interest as I pursued my education and while at Minot State.”

After Schaeffer graduated with his bachelor's in accounting from Minot State, Royer continued to advocate and encourage him to pursue postgraduate studies.

“He encouraged me to go to law school, and so immediately following Minot State in the fall of 1992, I attended Southern Illinois University. I pursued, at that point, something that was called a joint degree. It was a Master of Accounting and Juris Doctorate joint degree. Normally, a Master of Accounting will take you two years to complete, and a law degree will take you three. You can combine them and do them in four,” he explained. “And so, I graduated three years later, in the spring of 1995. It was actually December of ‘94, but I walked the stage in May of ’95 with that joint degree.”

Once finished with his joint degree from Southern Illinois University, Schaeffer started working for Ernst and Young, an accounting firm in St. Louis. With this new experience came another educational adventure.

“When I was with Ernst and Young, I started in St. Louis, then I was transferred to New York for a short-term assignment. While I was working in Manhattan, my peers at Ernst were pursuing Master of Law in Taxation degrees at NYU-New York University,” he said. “I had never heard of a Master of Law in Taxation.

“I felt in order to be competitive in the marketplace, I needed to go back to school,” Schaeffer added. “So, it was the assignment in Manhattan that opened my eyes to say that I needed to go back for a fourth degree to be competitive in the marketplace.”

That drive to stay ahead didn’t end there. His career at BP marked the next chapter in his commitment to continuous learning.

“I joined BP in Chicago in 2001 and pursued an MBA. I was doing some work in the treasury department at BP in addition to working in the tax department,” Schaeffer said. “And so, over the course of three years, I pursued a part-time Master of Science in Finance degree from Saint Xavier University.”

As Schaeffer’s education advanced, so did his career at BP, leading to opportunities in new roles and cities.

“The first move I made was from Chicago. I was there from 2001 to 2004. I worked in the tax department and also spent time working with the treasury function. I then moved to Houston to work in our lower 48 oil and gas business. When I arrived in Houston in 2004, it was like starting all over with a whole new company,” he said. “I had my network and my colleagues in Chicago, but this whole new experience of being involved, not with tax and treasury, but in an oil and gas business in Houston, was very unique and very different. What was special about it in my mind was that I didn't have to leave my existing company for that new opportunity. I found that new challenges and opportunities continued to present themselves as I worked on various projects across the globe, and now, since Oct.1, being a president/head of the country for BP in Canada and the breadth of opportunities that come along with that.”

As Schaeffer reflects on a career filled with global experiences and professional milestones, he acknowledges that the greatest lessons have been the simplest ones. No matter how complex the challenges or high the stakes, he believes success stems from the core values that guide our relationships and interactions.

“Always be respectful. It doesn't matter where you are from or what country you are in. Being polite and respectful carries a conversation, and I think it also just helps with the interaction of individuals with individuals,” he explained. “That's the one thing I carry. Be yourself, but be respectful, always. There are times of stress, and there are times of laughter, but just always be courteous and respectful, and to be certain that you give people the time and the space that they want.

“Everything I ever needed to know, I learned in kindergarten. Be kind. Be respectful. If you borrow something, return it.”

Schaeffer also learned the value of connection and the importance of staying grounded. He credits these lessons to the friendships and relationships he’s built over the years, many of which continue to shape his perspective today.

“The friends from growing up, grade school, junior high, high school, and at least for me, I found the most formative years being in college and, in particular, being an undergrad at Minot State. The friendships that I developed over the course of those years shaped me as a person,” Schaeffer said. “I still carry those friendships today with colleagues and friends, for example, Randy Conway ’92 at Minot State. Just their insights, views, and perspectives that carry along with you. You know, those friends that you establish friendships with at a younger age that don't go to work with you, but they're the same individuals today as I knew back then. They keep you grounded.

“They don't know me as Scott Schaeffer, who works for BP. They just remember me as Scott Schaeffer, who went to school with them at Minot State over the course of years.”

While friendships have kept him grounded, Schaeffer's family has been his anchor through the years.

“My wife's name is Kristina, and we’ve been married since 2001. Kristina and I met in law school at Southern Illinois University back in 1992. We have a son named Cameron, of course; he goes by Cam. Cam would tell you he's from Texas. He was really born in Chicago, but we moved to Texas when he was about two years old,” he said. “We currently live in Calgary, and Cam is attending Mount Royal University in Calgary-MRU. He's in his fourth year there studying business.”

Before Schaeffer took on his role as president of BP in Calgary, he was considering retirement, but with his new role closer to home and less travel, it was an easy answer to postpone retirement a little longer.

“I am not traveling much in my new role, and I'm quite excited about that,” he said. “So, I will have less travel and will be spending a lot more time in Canada, with a little bit of travel to the East Coast, to Ottawa, and within Alberta. I was considering retirement, and then, fortunately, this opportunity was presented to me to relocate back to Calgary, where my wife and son were living. And so, I jumped at the opportunity as a result of that. I felt a little bit too young to retire anyway.

“So, as opposed to retiring next year when I'm 55, I will continue to work for a few more years, which is probably a good thing. Then, I will probably work part-time or on a volunteer basis, maybe at the golf course, cutting grass. And that will be it. That will be enough.”

With his new role offering a better balance between work and home, Schaeffer is turning his attention to the lessons he’s learned throughout his career. One key takeaway he shares is the power of relationships and how they can shape a career.

“The one thing I would tell the students today, as I expressed when I was there. Introduce themselves, talk, and meet people,” Scheffer said. “You never know where the relationships that you develop at a university will take you in the future; heaven forbid, five years from now, you're applying for a position. You sit down with the interviewer, and it was a person you sat next to for an entire semester in business class, and you never took the time to introduce yourself.

“Learn to talk, learn to interact, learn to communicate, and develop that network. You never know where it is going to lead you. Invest the time in the person sitting next to you.”

About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.

Published: 01/15/25   




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