John Whelan

John Whelan is the VP for Human Resources at Yale University. He joined Yale from Indiana University, where he spent seven years as the chief human resources officer and is currently vice president for human resources.

Whelan comes to Yale from Indiana University, where he spent seven years as the chief human resources officer and is currently vice president for human resources.

At Indiana University, Whelan implemented a comprehensive strategic plan and redesign of HR operations to improve effectiveness in staff recruitment, retention, and professional development. He also created a diversity, equity, and inclusion taskforce to review HR practices and policies before launching DEI initiatives to support an inclusive and equitable workplace. The 325 HR professionals he leads across seven campuses at Indiana serve more than 22,000 people.

Whelan earned a J.D. in labor and employment law and B.A. in American studies from the University of Notre Dame. After graduation, he decided to focus on human resources because he wanted to understand all aspects of the workplace and support the people whose talents and commitment are essential to the success of an organization. He wanted to be part of efforts to help people, business operations, and communities thrive.

Prior to joining Indiana University, Whelan took on increasingly complex leadership responsibilities in HR for the Gillette Company, Bristol Myers Squibb, the University of Notre Dame, and Baylor University.