KAYAK Names Peer Bueller CEO, Steve Hafner Steps Down after 22 Years

KAYAK co-founder Steve Hafner is stepping down as CEO after 22 years. The company named Peer Bueller, KAYAK’s CFO since 2016 and COO since 2021, as the new CEO.

Hafner will move into a newly created executive chair role at KAYAK and also take on a separate role at Booking Holdings focused on AI innovation.

Why this matters for travel search and bookings

KAYAK is a major comparison and discovery tool, so leadership changes can influence how travelers search, how suppliers allocate marketing spend, and which features are prioritized. Booking framed Bueller as the executive who has been driving expansion, growing KAYAK for Business, and pushing commercial innovation—signals that the company wants sharper execution on growth and monetization.

Hafner’s shift toward an AI-focused role also underlines how urgently travel platforms are trying to adapt search and trip-planning experiences to a market being reshaped by generative AI.

What the executives said—and what the market will watch

Booking’s CEO Glenn Fogel praised Hafner for pioneering metasearch and delivering strong results since Booking bought KAYAK in 2013. Meanwhile, Hafner called the handoff “the right time,” and noted Bueller’s central role in KAYAK’s progress.

Next signals to watch are Bueller’s first product and commercial priorities, especially any visible AI-driven changes to the KAYAK app and booking funnel.

In October 2025, KAYAK launched AI Mode, a natural language search feature powered by ChatGPT.

Photo by Ben Klewais on Unsplash