Getting more done is way of life for the Home Depot鈥檚 Ted Decker
Life would look very different for 黑料正能量 alumnus Ted Decker if he hadn鈥檛 picked up the phone while popping into his London office on the way to the airport 26 years ago.
That cold call from a recruiter about an Atlanta-based leadership position happened at an opportune time for Ted. His contract with Kimberly-Clark Corp. was ending and he wasn鈥檛 sure what was next for his career 鈥� and he just happened to be heading to Atlanta for a meeting that very day. He arranged a lunchtime interview with the company鈥檚 CEO.
More than a quarter of a century and seven promotions later, Ted is now the chair, president and CEO of the Home Depot, the world鈥檚 largest home improvement retailer with more than 2,350 stores and 470,000 associates throughout North America.聽
鈥淟esson here: You can never plan life,鈥� Ted says.
A 1993 graduate with an MBA from the Tepper School of Business, Ted has embraced Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 boundary-breaking ethos throughout his career. He is an English major who loves numbers and data. He is a man whose career has been grounded in the physical world 鈥� stores, products, supply chains and communities 鈥� while also embracing the digital transformation reshaping his industry.聽
I鈥檓 using what I learned at Carnegie Mellon literally every day, 32-odd years later. There鈥檚 virtually not a day that I鈥檓 not leveraging something I know I was initially exposed to or learned in the MBA program.
Ted Decker
(TPR 1993)
Gathering his tools
A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, Ted鈥檚 passion for customer service and business acumen developed early. He began mowing lawns at age 8, an effort that grew into a landscaping business he ran throughout high school with his brother.聽
He attended William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, meeting his wife Cathy there and graduating with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in English 鈥� he鈥檚 an avid reader to this day. He returned to western Pennsylvania, and joined a management program at PNC Bank with a goal of pursuing a career in international banking. He spent three years in Sydney, Australia, with PNC before returning to Pittsburgh.
He decided it was time to pursue an MBA and realized that 鈥渙ne of the best schools in the world is right here.鈥� He submitted just one application, to Carnegie Mellon, and joined Graduate School of Industrial Administration, now the Tepper School of Business, which he credits for bolstering his confidence with financial theory and strategic evaluation.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 using what I learned at Carnegie Mellon literally every day, 32-odd years later,鈥� Ted says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 virtually not a day that I鈥檓 not leveraging something I know I was initially exposed to or learned in the MBA program.鈥�
His diverse background means that Ted is able to see both the 鈥渁rt and science of retail,鈥� combining data-driven strategy with a deep commitment to both the Home Depot鈥檚 customers and associates 鈥� an approach that stays true to and advances the founding principles of the company.
Building on the foundation
In 1978, the Home Depot鈥檚 founders, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, sketched out the idea of a warehouse-style hardware store with a wide selection, competitive prices and high-quality customer service on a napkin in a Los Angeles coffee shop. Along with investor Ken Langone and merchandising expert Pat Farrah, they opened their first two stores the following year.聽
What appealed to Ted most about the Home Depot from that very first interview wasn't just the successful business model, it was the values and leadership approach baked into the company by its founders.
They laid out eight core values 鈥� including respect for all people, doing the right thing and giving back 鈥� and an inverted pyramid structure that put the customers and associates at the top and the chief executive officer at the bottom, all of which still guide the company to this day. (Ted remembers after being named CEO that Bernie called him to congratulate him on making it to 鈥渢he bottom.鈥�)
鈥淚 was immediately hooked on the Home Depot and primarily because of its strong culture and value system,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hile it has a phenomenal business model, it is one of the strongest cultures you鈥檒l ever see. It鈥檚 a culture of servant leadership, of putting the customers and frontline associates first. It鈥檚 a company that lives by its values.鈥�
Under his leadership and guided by those values, the Home Depot has focused on creating a seamless, interconnected and customer-first shopping experience for both professional and DIY clients, navigating through disruptions like a global pandemic, tariff uncertainties, housing market ups and downs, and the advent of AI and machine learning in the industry.
By improving logistical efficiency, expanding distribution capabilities and embracing data analytics and digital tools that enhance the in-store experience, he has shepherded the Home Depot to some of its most successful years ever.聽
The company made $14 billion in net income in 2025, down from COVID-19-driven record highs, with a special focus on increasing its share of the pro market and new partnerships and acquisitions that will help the company 鈥済row, grow, grow.鈥�
While digital shopping and tools are increasingly important, Ted credits that in-store experience, driven by engaged employees, as what sets the Home Depot apart from its competitors. In 2024, Ted instituted a new policy directing company executives 鈥� including himself 鈥� to don their orange Home Depot aprons and spend an entire day each quarter in a store, supply chain facility or a data center to engage with customers and associates to stay connected to that experience.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just such a blessing to have that strength of culture coupled with an incredibly robust, successful business model,鈥� Ted says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what excites me every day.鈥�
Helping doers get more done
Ted marks the things that haven鈥檛 changed at the Home Depot among his proudest accomplishments: The energy in the stores, the culture upheld by frontline associates and the experiences of the customers. The company's low attrition rate is a particular point of pride for him.聽
鈥淵ou walk into a Home Depot and there鈥檚 a sense of something going on. There鈥檚 this energy,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ur associates are so engaged and our customers are so engaged. That鈥檚 the culture and the value system coming to life.鈥�
The Home Depot has a deep commitment to giving back, with millions of dollars in philanthropy each year going to veterans鈥� causes and organizations and serving as a connection for those who need jobs with training in the skilled trades.
Ted sees a transformation coming to retail with the advent of AI and machine learning, which will allow places like Home Depot to take their existing real-time data and add weather, world events and other data points to better forecast, allocate product, run supply chains and delivery networks, and anticipate failure points. He also points to search functionality on the Home Depot website being more accurate, quicker and more personalized thanks to machine learning.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really going to change everything,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t will certainly be disruptive, but we鈥檙e already seeing increased productivity.鈥�
Ted joined the Carnegie Mellon Board of Trustees in 2023, giving him a new way to connect with his alma mater, which is at the forefront of digital innovation and transformation, including its impact on the workforce.
I was absolutely honored to do it and give back as much as I can to this great institution. I categorically know that what I learned [at 黑料正能量] is what helped me in my career. It just gave me such a great foundation.聽
I鈥檓 forever indebted to Carnegie Mellon.
Ted Decker
(TPR 1993)
Sharing his journey
In March, President Farnam Jahanian hosted Ted Decker for his President's Lecture Series, a program that brings thought leaders and world leaders to campus. During the event, Ted shared the impact of his 黑料正能量 education and his experiences leading the world's largest home improvement retailer.