Sean Spence

George Mason University Costello College of Business faculty Sean Spence headshot

Adjunct Professor, Finance

Contact Information

Email: sspenc2@gmu.edu
Office Location: Enterprise Hall, 181
Office Hours: By Appointment

Biography

Sean Spence is an adjunct professor in the Costello College of Business at George Mason University with previous experience at the University of Maryland, Rice University, and Southern New Hampshire University. His passion for finance began while serving as CEO of the Student-Run Saber Fund during his time at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. This experience led him to establish a family investment company named Spence Capital LLC, where he continues to serve as managing director.

Spence is also a Senior Manager with professional services firm BDO that specializes in delivering accounting and financial advisory services to clients throughout the country and around the globe. Before his tenure at BDO, Spence was a Strategy and Corporate Finance Lead Associate with Booz Allen Hamilton and a Strategy and Operations Senior Consultant with Deloitte Consulting. Spence serves a 3-year term as an appointed council member of the Dumfries Economic Development Authority. His responsibilities include promoting local economic growth through strategic planning, business support, financial oversight, policy governance, and community engagement.  

In January 2026, Spence was appointed to the George Mason University Board of Visitors. In addition to this university leadership role, he maintains active civic engagement in the region. He serves a 3-year term as an appointed Director of the Dumfries Economic Development Authority, where his responsibilities include promoting local economic growth through strategic planning, financial oversight, and policy governance. Spence is also an appointed member of the Cherry Hill Development Authority, serving a 4-year term supporting the governance of a nearly $500 million Capital Infrastructure Development Program. Furthermore, he chairs the Superintendents Advisory Council on Sustainability (SACS) for Prince William County Public Schools, providing strategic recommendations on energy and sustainability across the division's portfolio.

Spence is a retired Army reserve officer; his military service includes multiple overseas assignments in Iraq, Kosovo, Korea, Kuwait, and Honduras. He served as a Headquarters Commander for the 416th Theater Engineering Command, a Task Force Plans Officer for Task Force Engineers, and a Senior Instructor at the US Army Engineer School. 
 

Public Speaking

To book Sean Spence to be a guest speaker or panelist at an event, please visit here.

Research Interests

  • Corporate  Governance
  • Corporate Finance
  • Corporate Strategy
  • Military Strategy 
  • Economic Development 

Education

  • Doctorate of Engineering - George Washington University (Focus: Systems Dynamics and Engineering Economics) 
  • Master of Business Administration - University of Virginia, Darden School of Business (Focus: Strategy and Corporate Finance)  
  • Master of Science - New York Institute of Technology (Focus: Engineering Economics)
  • Bachelor of Science - University of Central Florida (Focus: Industrial Operations Engineering)
  • Certificate - Army Instructor Training, Army Engineer School, Fort Leonard Wood MO
  • Certificate - Student Centered Learning (SLC), Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
  • Certificate - Adult Learning, Southern New Hampshire University  

Media Clippings