[1] Haaga worked as senior attorney for the division of investment management of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 1974 to 1977 before joining international law firm Dechert, where he was a partner at the Washington, D.C. office.
While at Capital Group, Haaga served as chairman of the board of governors of the Investment Company Institute, the trade association for the mutual fund industry.
[2] He is credited with helping to restore the industry's reputation after the market timing scandal of 2003.
He has also served as president of the board of trustees of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, director of NPR, chairman of the board of overseers of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, president and major gifts chair for Princeton's class of 1970, and a trustee of the Princeton Rugby endowment.
On September 13, 2013, Haaga was appointed acting CEO of National Public Radio (NPR).