Josh Kuiper

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

“Husband, father, health/fitness enthusiast – constantly pursuing new challenges and creative ways to tackle them.” 

Hometown: Lowell, Indiana

Fun Fact About Yourself: I once played an impromptu concert at a small bookstore/beer joint in North Carolina. There were about 30 patrons at the establishment, all of whom were upset about the planned entertainment being cancelled due to the singer catching a cold. I grabbed an old acoustic guitar I saw hanging on the wall and played a set of about 10 songs using a Dick’s Sporting Goods ScoreCard as a pick. I am not a particularly good guitar player or singer, but the patrons that night treated me like Luke Combs!

Undergraduate School and Major: Purdue University – Law and Society

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: United States Marine Corps, Special Operations Officer

In the second half of the year, you will be completing an Academy devoted to areas like Marketing, Finance, Operations, Digital Enterprises and more. Which Academy interests you the most and why?  I am most interested in joining the Consulting Academy. Throughout my military career, I have always had a deep passion for being a part of high-performing teams, improving systems and processes and developing innovative and sometimes unconventional, solutions to solve complex problems. A career in consulting certainly aligns with those same passions, but I don’t yet have any experience in the business world. The Consulting Academy will provide that experience as I will have the opportunity to learn what consulting is all about, network with Kelley alumni at top consulting firms, and participate in real-world consulting projects. Additionally, I had a phenomenal discussion with the director of the Consulting Academy, J. Scott Laughner, and I genuinely look forward to his positive energy and learning from his extensive consulting experience.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Indiana Kelley’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Although there were many reasons I chose Kelley, the deciding factor for me was location. My wife and I are both from Indiana and we felt that attending Kelley would allow us to raise our children closer to family while affording me the opportunity to experience a world-class MBA program. Additionally, we will remain in the Midwest post-MBA, and I look forward to working with Kelley’s prestigious Career Graduate Services in pursuing a desirable career in the region.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Indiana Kelley (and why)? Although I’m not sure many prospective students would agree with me, I am most excited about Kelley’s Integrated Core. Coming from a non-business background, the Integrated Core will provide a solid business foundation and help refine my career interests. Additionally, it will be a unique opportunity to engage with and learn from a diverse cohort and work closely on a team of three or four or my peers. I can only imagine how much I am going to learn over these first 15 weeks.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The biggest accomplishment in my career was deploying with my Marine Special Operations Team to a fast-paced, complex, ambiguous combat environment in Afghanistan. Upon arrival, my team was relegated to a mission that did not match our extensive capability, resulting in frustration throughout my team. We gradually built meaningful relationships with key decision makers, pitched our capabilities to anyone willing to listen, and worked tirelessly providing value anywhere that we could. We developed a particularly novel concept of employment, convinced our bosses of the efficacy and aggressively implemented the concept. My team went from being largely unemployed to conducting strategic combat operations spanning multiple provinces throughout Afghanistan. I was extremely proud of what my team accomplished in a short amount of time, and we laid the groundwork for multiple teams to follow.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? I have a new-found appreciation and great respect for stay-at-home parents. Prior to the pandemic, I was often gone for weeks or months at a time and rarely spent an entire day at home with my children. That rapidly changed during COVID as I found myself changing diapers and cooking chicken nuggets while trying to answer emails or write reports. Although it was exhausting at times, it made me realize the benefits of a flexible work environment in allowing more quality time with family. I am making a significant career change during the pandemic, and work/life balance will certainly be an important consideration as I decide on my next professional endeavor.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? I am forever grateful for the last decade I spent in the military. I met truly amazing people, traveled all over the world, and had the privilege of leading some of the best humans on the planet. I’m at the point in my career where I am starting to feel comfortable, and it is clear that I need a new challenge. Pursuing an MBA will undoubtedly be a challenge, but will also serve as an extended transition out of the military where I will have the opportunity to develop strong business acumen, build a robust network and learn how to translate my military experience in to a successful career in the business world. After graduation, I am most interested in pursuing a career in consulting.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? UVA (Darden), Duke (Fuqua), UNC (Kenan-Flagler)

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Indiana Kelley’s MBA program? The most important piece of advice I would give to potential applicants for Kelley (or any other MBA program) is to be yourself. I think too many applicants spend way too much time researching the best responses to essay questions or how to answer interview questions, and they focus on what they think the admissions committee wants to hear. Be authentic and energetic, and have stories prepared to illustrate the type of person you are. Diversity is important at Kelley and every other MBA program. Use your stories to show how you bring something truly unique to the program.

DON’T MISS: MEET INDIANA KELLEY’S MBA CLASS OF 2023