08-19-2025
The Daniels School of Business welcomes Jason Kuckkan as one of our newest Business Fellows. With a vibrant career spanning more than two decades in retail strategy, operations and consulting, Kuckkan brings exceptional expertise in value- and profitability-driven retail growth to our students and the Daniels School community.
Kuckkan’s professional journey intertwines technical expertise, retail strategy and operational improvements, and organization alignment to drive results. After earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Indiana University, Kuckkan moved into the retail industry, taking on pivotal roles at both Kohl’s and The Home Depot.
At The Home Depot during the tumultuous 2008 housing crisis, Kuckkan learned crucial lessons in leadership, organizational change and the unique power of company culture. He recalls this experience as transformative, shaping his philosophy on focusing on what truly matters and empowering teams at every level — a lesson he continues to draw on in his work today.
“The culture at The Home Depot is something special. People genuinely take pride in wearing the orange apron, and there’s a strong sense of teamwork and drive to keep the company moving forward. During and after the housing crisis, leadership was focused on what mattered most — the 2,000+ stores and the associates who make them run.
“That time taught me a lot about leading through change and uncertainty. What really stood out was how sticking to the basics — the things that made The Home Depot successful from the start — was still the best path forward. It came down to our people, clear priorities, and making informed decisions that helped us adapt and grow.
“In looking back, while leadership direction and focus was critical, I think it was the The Home Depot culture that helped pull the company through that disruption and ultimately set it up for the results it continues to achieve to this day,” says Kuckkan.
From there, Kuckkan transitioned into consulting, spending nearly 10 years advising leading North American retailers across a spectrum of formats. Joining a boutique firm focused on hands-on, implementation-driven retail transformation projects, Kuckkan soon found himself part of Accenture, following an acquisition. This move exposed him to large-scale change, allowing him to hone his ability to drive value from strategy through execution in some of the retail sector’s biggest stages.
Most recently, Kuckkan joined BRG Corporate Finance’s growing Retail Performance Improvement (RPI) practice. BRG Corporate Finance is a full-service financial advisory practice powered by a team of top-tier finance and business professionals with a broad range of invaluable real-world industry and operational expertise. Kuckkan has played a critical role in expanding the RPI team from its earliest hires to a now-robust, nationally recognized practice. His projects span from high-level strategy down to deep operational analysis and change, always with a focus on practical, financially measurable results — driving profitability, optimizing operational processes and empowering organizations to realign, restructure and embrace technology for lasting impact.
Kuckkan’s ties to Purdue run deep. Not only did the university help shape his analytical and problem-solving skills, but as he fondly notes, his wife and two of his three children are also proud Boilermakers.
“Getting my degree at Purdue was a big part of who I became professionally, and the values and culture here have been incredibly consistent and influential for my family,” Kuckkan reflects.
A passionate advocate of student success, Kuckkan is eager to give back through mentorship and direct engagement. He believes in preparing students for the real world by emphasizing the intersection of analytics, process and hands-on learning. Whether it’s guiding new hires at BRG or mentoring aspiring business leaders at Purdue, Kuckkan is excited about sharing his journey — including how he went from engineering to retail leadership, a path he never predicted as an undergrad.
Kuckkan’s experience has taught him that true business success comes from understanding the fundamentals — how work really gets done at every level of an organization. He’s a staunch believer in asking questions and leveraging data-driven decision-making, all while never underestimating the value of building and sustaining a strong professional network.
“In retail, for example, you’re only as good and profitable as the stores and people working in them. Leaders need to get close to the ground, understand reality and make decisions rooted in practical experience,” Kuckkan emphasizes. He also highlights the importance of adaptability, analytical thinking and breaking down complex problems into manageable parts — a mindset he’s eager to instill in students.
As a Daniels School Business Fellow, Kuckkan looks forward to bridging the gap between academic theory and industry practice, helping students unlock new career pathways, and fostering a dynamic culture of learning and innovation. His career exemplifies the Daniels School’s values and its commitment to preparing tomorrow’s business leaders: action-driven, values-grounded and always ready to tackle tomorrow’s challenges.
Daniels School Business Fellows are senior industry leaders with more than 20 years of experience or a significant contribution to their field. Fellows serve as an extension to the Daniels School’s strategy, representing the school in their industry, engaging with students, faculty, and curriculum, and providing thought leadership to guide our future direction. This role offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on both the school and the future of business.
