Kayak co-founder and longtime CEO Steve Hafner is stepping down from his role, marking the end of a more than 20-year tenure at the helm of one of the travel industry’s most influential metasearch platforms. The leadership transition was announced by parent company Booking Holdings, which acquired Kayak in 2013.
Hafner will move into the role of executive chairman at Kayak while also taking on a broader leadership position at Booking Holdings, where he will focus on artificial intelligence initiatives across the group’s travel brands. Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel credited Hafner with pioneering the metasearch category and delivering long-term growth and performance for Kayak within the company’s global portfolio.
Succeeding Hafner as CEO is Peer Bueller, who previously served as Kayak’s CFO and COO. Bueller joined Kayak in 2016 and has played a central role in expanding the platform’s commercial strategy, including the growth of Kayak for Business and broader product innovation. His appointment reflects continuity, with leadership passing to an executive already deeply involved in Kayak’s operational and strategic direction.
Founded in 2004, Kayak helped redefine how travelers search and compare flights, hotels, and rental cars. The leadership shift comes as travel technology companies increasingly prioritize AI-driven personalization, smarter search, and more intuitive user experiences.
Hafner’s new AI-focused mandate suggests Kayak and Booking Holdings are positioning themselves for the next evolution of travel planning, where intelligent automation and real-time decision support play a growing role.
