For Alumnus of the Year Bob Haas,jeans are in his genes  

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In 1964 Robert Douglas Haas, valedictorian of theUniversity of California at Berkeley’s senior class,delivered a commencement address that in its ownway had the impact and prescience of Mario Savio’sfamous speech. Haas noted a “missing link” between stu-dents and faculty and administration, and urged all par-ties to break down the barriers of impersonality anddisengagement, and turn the student-professor relation-ship into one of “mutual give-and-take.”Robert Haas has now been named the CaliforniaAlumni Association’s 2009 Alumnus of the Year, in partfor consistently parlaying the sentiments of that 1964speech into an extraordinarily successful career and alifetime of serving the community and combatingAlumnus of the Year For Alumnus of the Year Bob Haas,jeans are in his genes.By Jackie Krentzmanphotographs by marcus hanschen
ing himself in another language or studyingdiplomacy at the Woodrow Wilson School ofPublic and International Affairs at Princeton.Instead, he obtained his MBA at Harvard Busi-ness School. “I finally decided on businessschool, because I figured whether I ended upin business or not, having the skills to run anenterprise, whether it be for profit or nonprofit,would serve me well,” he says.Haas then served as a White House Fel-low for one year in the Johnson and Nixonadministrations, working for the Departmentof Housing and Urban Development. At thatpoint, Haas was at a crossroads. He felt he hadto decide whether to enter the family businessor go his own way.“Some people may be surprised to hear mesay this, but I never wanted to work in the familyfirm,” he says. “I had great respect for Levi’s butat that point, I had too much pride, I wanted tomake it on my own. A lot of my early vocationallife was probably a search for an alternative toLevi’s and a way to prove myself.”He went his own way. From 1969 to 1972,Haas was an associate at the management con-sulting firm McKinsey & Co. in San Francisco.While there, he recalls, a senior executive atLevi’s made an appointment to see him andsaid, “Your father doesn’t know I’m coming tosee you, but you’ve proven yourself. You are aperson of accomplishment, that’s been showna number of ways, and we need you here. Thepeople here appreciate family leadership, andthat makes us different from other companies.”By this point, Haas realized that he didn’twant to continue as a management consul-tant. He found the demands of a client-focusedservice industry took a toll on his life with hiswife, Colleen, and their daughter, Elise. His cri-teria for a job were simple—it must be in theBay Area, the company must have an interna-tional presence (he admits to a great case ofwanderlust), and the company must treat peo-ple well and not destroy the environment. “Themore I thought about it, much to my chagrin,there was only one company that fit the bill,”he says.Haas began at the family firm in 1973 asthe marketing director, moving on to sev-eral other positions until 1984, when he wasnamed CEO. In 1985 he successfully took thecompany private in a leveraged buyout. Shortlythereafter he oversaw the creation of the wildly56 www.CAliFoRNiAmAg.oRg inequality. The former CEO of Levi Strauss &Co., Haas devoted his life’s work to connectingthat missing link and breaking down barriers—between races, ethnicities, employer andemployee, and the have and have-nots. “Bob ishighly deserving of this award, as he is one ofCal’s most successful and humanitarian alumni,”says Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. “[He]embodies the qualities and character that we allbelieve are the product of a Cal education—hehas combined professional achievement of thehighest order with an unwavering commitmentto the community and the greater good.”The University also recognizes Haas as oneof Berkeley’s most active and generous alumni.“Bob has been involved in our mission and val-ues at Cal as much as anyone ever has in ourcommunity,” says Scott Biddy, Berkeley’s ViceChancellor for University Relations. “In addi-tion, his commitment to an equitable and justsociety is remarkable.”His dedication is no surprise given his pas-sion for his alma mater. “I think his blood mustrun blue and gold,” says San Francisco finan-cier Warren Hellman, who nominated Haasfor the award (and is himself a prior recipient).“I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation withBob that lasted more than 30 seconds whereCal didn’t come up in some way.”Cal spirit may well run in his veins—theHaas family has a long-standing tradition ofpatronage of the University. His great-great-uncle, Levi Strauss, who migrated to San Fran-cisco during the Gold Rush and in the1870sbegan selling denim overalls, established 28scholarships at Cal in 1897. The Haas School ofBusiness is named after Bob Haas’s grandfatherWalter Sr., and the Haas Pavilion was in partfunded by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fundestablished by his father. Indeed, Bob Haas isthe seventh member of his family to receive theCalifornia Alumnus of the Year Award.Of course, when he was a Cal undergraduateEnglish major 40-some years ago, it seemed themore likely award in his future would be Prank-ster of the Year. Haas recalls what might be hisfavorite caper, when he and his friend RogerMorgan painted a 40-foot-long reclining nudeon a paneled construction fence that the Uni-versity had generously provided for art studentsto display their talents. Haas and Morgan’s racyhandiwork ran on the wire services and becamenational news before the University was able topaint over the offending image.Or take the time in 1963 when Haasaccepted a diploma from President ClarkKerr—as a junior. He had put on a cap andgown and infiltrated the senior graduation cer-emony. “During my time at Cal I worked hardand I played hard,” Haas says with a smile. “Itook my studies seriously and blew off steamwhen I could.”Pranks aside, his four years at Cal werekey to molding his leadership style and sensi-bilities. Haas further developed the social con-science that was already instilled in him by hisfamily, long-time supporters of civil rights anddefenders of the underprivileged. Top-downleadership was not his inclination or nature,he realized—hence his “Missing Link” speech,which foreshadowed his management style atLevi’s years later.To this day, Haas embraces this philosophyeven in his everyday interactions. On an over-cast fall day, Haas, youthful and lanky, casuallydressed in a pair of dark gray Dockers slacks anda button-down shirt, gave an interview in hisroomy but spare office at Levi’s headquarters inSan Francisco, a sweeping view of the bay beforehim. When asked why the university holdssuch a special place in his heart, he responded,“Clearly Cal is a place where people can havetheir minds stretched and grow and have greatsocial experiences. It’s also a great research uni-versity. But a lot of research universities canclaim that. Cal is much more. It offers opportu-nity and access to a broad base of the populationand doesn’t just skim the people that are fortu-nate enough to go to private schools and whohave all the advantages of life. It educates peoplewho are striving to improve themselves and gainopportunities that their parents or grandparentscouldn’t enjoy. This makes it very exciting, tothis day, to walk across the Cal campus and seethe range of diversity and how profoundly dif-ferent it is from other similar institutions.”Haas was one of those students who camefrom a privileged background and whosemind was stretched at Berkeley, where he metstudents from different socio-economic back-grounds bringing a variety of assumptions andperspectives. The burgeoning civil rights andstudent movements of the times inspired him toaction—to his parents’ initial dismay, he partici-pated in a sit-in at the Sheraton-Palace Hotel inSan Francisco with other Cal students.After graduation, like many of his gen-eration inspired by President John F. Kennedy,Haas joined the Peace Corps. At his post on theIvory Coast, he taught English and developed ahealthcare project for the residents of his village.When his Peace Corps stint ended, Haaswas torn between staying abroad and immers-“When you are in a position of authority, if you chose to do so, you can useyour enterprise for more than just creating value for your shareholders. You canimprove the footprint that your enterprise leaves behind in the world.”




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Catch up with classmates online at calcafe.berkeley.edu successful Dockers brand (in a 2007 pressrelease, Levi’s claimed that more than 50 per-cent of American males owned at least one pairof Dockers).While Levi Strauss enjoyed a tremendousgrowth spurt in the 1980s and early ’90s underhis stewardship, Haas is particularly proud ofthe company’s strong commitment to socialvalues, employee programs, and corporateresponsibility initiatives. He cites the company’sgroundbreaking 1982 HIV/AIDS awarenessprogram (one of the first companies to adopt apolicy and one that would serve as model) andto its global sourcing standards.In 1991 Levi’s was the first multinationalcompany to establish and enforce upon theirthird-party suppliers a policy of fair wages,limited hours, age restrictions, and workplacesafety conditions for workers in its factoriesworldwide.Having once considered a career in publicservice or politics, Haas came to realize thathe could effect more change and touch morelives at Levi’s. “When you are in a position ofauthority, if you chose to do so, you can useyour enterprise for more than just creatingvalue for your shareholders. You can improvethe footprint that your enterprise leaves behindin the world.”He was certainly mindful of the footprinthe left behind at Levi’s. Haas reinforced—andmore importantly institutionalized—the com-pany’s longstanding open-door policy. “Mygrandfather coined the phrase ‘the fifth free-dom,’ which was a play on Roosevelt’s four free-doms,” says Haas. “The fifth freedom was thathis door was always open, and he was alwaysavailable to hear any employee’s point of viewno matter what that employee’s status with thecompany or what that point of view was.”Historically, Levi’s was a trendsetter indiversity and inclusion practices. It was one ofthe first and few companies to insist on inte-grated plants, in Northern California in the1940s, and in the South in the early ’60s. In1992 Levi’s was the first Fortune 500 companyto extend full medical benefits to domesticpartners of employees.According to Haas, championing diversityand inclusion is not only a case of “doing theright thing,” it’s good for business as well. “Itenables us to employ the best people, benefitfrom a variety of perspectives and experiences,and strengthen employee loyalty and commit-ment,” he says.Employee commitment to Levi’s was testeda number of times—particularly in the 1990s,when the company lost market share in theUnited States and in 1997 closed 11 Americanfactories and laid off some 6,400 employees.Many employees who might have jumped shipas the company struggled, stayed on.“Bonuses were limited in size, there weresome plant closures, and the press was verynegative about some of our financial decisions,”says Jen Schipper, the senior director of cus-tomer service and sales and a Levi’s employeesince 1991. “But I stayed because I thoughtthat as difficult as they were, the company wasmaking the right decisions—and making themwith the utmost empathy. For example, when ithad to close a plant, the company made a hugeeffort to help those laid off to transition intonew careers, with counseling and job placementservices. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say we seta whole new standard. These decisions weremade from a strong ethical foundation and itmade me proud to be part of the company.”“Obviously Levi’s has had some choppy timesin the last decade or so,” says Haas. “But ourturnover has been relatively low for a companythat hasn’t always been paying bonuses whenpeople have had to work long and hard to keepthings going, and that’s because people feel thisplace is about a lot more than just selling jeans.”Haas has also been a leader in workplacediversity. In 1998 President Bill Clinton hon-ored him with the first annual Ron BrownAward for Corporate Leadership, in recognitionof Levi’s anti-racism initiative “Project Change.”Levi’s and the University of California honoredHaas’s lifelong commitment to diversity lastFebruary when the company endowed a newfaculty chair at Cal in his name, devoted toleading-edge research and teaching on equityand inclusion.


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In 1999, Haas retired as CEO but con-tinued on as chairman of the board, then in2005 he became Chairman Emeritus. Haas hassince increased his already hefty philanthropicefforts, in terms of both giving and participa-tion. Notably, he is the president of the LeviStrauss Foundation (focused on three areas:building assets for impoverished communities,AIDS/HIV prevention, and worker’s rights),honorary director of the San Francisco AIDSFoundation, chairman of the Stanford Human-ities and Science Council, and an honorarytrustee of the Brookings Institution (a non-partisan research and policy institute). At hisalma mater, Haas is a Berkeley Fellow and theNational Chair for Annual Giving on the HaasSchool of Business Advisory Board; sits on theChancellor’s Executive Advisory Council, theAthletic Director’s Advisory Board, and theLibrary Advisory Board; and is on the Cam-paign Committee for the Bancroft Library.For Haas, such service is nothing special.His personal mission statements, he says, are“Do the right thing,” “Put yourself in the shoesof others,” and “Give back.”“While Bob’s commitment has been extraor-dinary, he is not the first person in his familyto do this sort of thing,” says Hellman, who isa distant cousin and a former director of Levi’s.“It’s accepted that if you are part of the Haasfamily you are going to be a major contrib-uting member of your community. To a sub-stantial extent Bob has been hardwired to giveback, and he has lived up to it completely.”“I can think of no more deserving a candi-date for the Alumnus of the Year Award,” saysDarek DeFreece ’93, President of the Califor-nia Alumni Association. “It is the Association’shighest honor and in receiving it he joins theranks of our most notable alumni.” Jackie Krentzman, M.J. ’88, is a Berkeley-basedcommunications and publication consultant, andthe editor-in-chief of a national women’s businessmagazine, Diversity Woman.2009 Alumni AwArdsAlumnus of the yeArrobert d. haas, English ’64excellence in Achievementchris Boskin, Art History And English ’67douglass north, Political Science, Philoso-phy, Economics ’42, Ph.D. Economics ’52terry mcmillan, Journalism ’86mArk BinghAm AwArd forexcellence in AchievementBy A young Alumnusmark dipaola, Business Administration ’99excellence in serviceJason sherr, Architecture ’92Patricia hinesmarjorie “mardy” P. robinson,Letters & Sciences ’52BrAdford s. king AwArdfor excellence in serviceBy A young Alumnus/Anicole harris, History ’92, Boalt HallSchool of Law J.D. ’95Call for nominationsNominations for the 2010 awards will be acceptedJanuary 1–May 31, 2009. For more informationor to submit a nomination, see alumni.berke-ley.edu/awards or contact Mindy Maschmeyerat mindy.

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