Remembering Haas’ Ralpha Bahna
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business alum Ralph Bahna, MBA ’65, founder of the Club Quarters business hotel chain and longtime chairman of Priceline.com, passed away on Monday, February 24 at the age of 71. After earning his MBA at Haas, Bahna went on to help redefine the travel industry as we know it.
A young Bahna played a major role in turning Trans World Airlines (TWA) around with the invention of business class travel. Then as CEO at Cunard Line in the 1980s and in 1993, he founded the private, city-center hotel chain, Club Quarters. He held this post until his death. Bahna also was a founding investor in Priceline.com, which he had served as board chairman since 2004.Bahna was a member of the Haas School Board and a generous supporter of Berkeley-Haas. Additionally he served on the boards of the King and Low Heywood Thomas Schools and was active in the Young Presidents’ Organization.
In an August 2012 conversation with Haas MBAs, Bahna shared his “secret sauce” for leading change, building on his work with Dean Rich Lyons on the school’s innovative leader curriculum. Bahna described the difference between “thinkers” and “transactors.” According to Bahna, it’s the “thinkers” who ultimately solve problems and transform organizations for the best.
“If a person can add another half hour or an hour in a week [to thinking], their power increases immensely,” said Bahna, who had spoken only one other time publicly in the last 20 years.
His recipe for success included the ability to boil down a challenge or course of action very concisely, sales skills to convince others to implement a solution, and determination and tenacity.
