Bob Haas

Robert D. Haas (born April 3, 1942 ) is the chairman emeritus of Levi Strauss & Co., son of Walter A. Haas Jr., and the great-great-grandnephew of the company's founder, Levi Strauss. Haas served as the company's president and CEO (1984-1999) and chairman (1989-2008), and is the last descendant of Levi Strauss to serve in those positions.

Biography Haas was born and raised in San Francisco, the son of Walter A. Haas Jr. and Evelyn Danzig Haas. Haas has two siblings: Elizabeth Jane "Betsy" Haas Eisenhardt (married to Roy Eisenhardt); and Walter J. Haas, co-chairman of the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund and former chairman and CEO of the Oakland Athletics. He was elected to the board of directors in 1979 and as president and chief executive officer in 1984, until he stepped down in 1999. He served as chairman of the board from 1989 until 2008, and retired from the board in 2014.

Sales and profitability grew during the period of Haas's leadership, thanks largely to the expansion of Levi's branded apparel internationally and the creation and rapid growth of the Dockers brand of casual apparel. Under his leadership, Levi Strauss & Company carried on the company's engagement in corporate social responsibility: it became the first company to define and enforce workplace and safety standards for employees.

From his appointment as CEO in 1984, Haas was instrumental in redefining the company's business strategy: He created a flatter organization – including the reduction of the workforce by one third. He also invested heavily in new product development, marketing, and technology. During his tenure as leader at Levi Strauss, Haas tried to create a corporate culture in which tens of thousands of employees around the world were treated fairly and well. In addition, the company led the way in addressing a range of social and business issues. In 1982, the company became the first prominent business to become involved in addressing the problems of HIV/AIDS, at the time a largely unknown disease. Under his leadership the company pioneered corporate standards for dealing with HIV-positive employees and created employee AIDS awareness programs. Since the early 1980s the Levi Strauss Foundation has donated over to AIDS-oriented non-profits. In 1991 Haas was the first person to be awarded the Edward N. Brandt Jr. Award from the National Leadership Coalition on AIDS for his significant efforts in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the workplace.

In 1992, Levi Strauss became the first Fortune 500 company to extend health-care benefits to the unmarried partners of its employees, starting the acceptance of this practice by other leading companies. Haas joined the fund's board of directors in 1992 and is chair of the audit committee. In addition, Haas is the former chairman of Stanford's Humanities and Sciences Council as well as the former president of the Levi Strauss Foundation. He is also a donor and supporter of Immigrants Rising.

Accolades In 1998, President Bill Clinton honored Haas with the first annual Ron Brown Leadership Award in recognition of the company's anti-racism initiative called "Project Change".

Personal life In 1974, he married attorney Colleen Gershon; they have a daughter, Elise.