NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Yale swimming made a very strong first impression on Casey Whalen '96.
 
It came when the Bulldogs traveled to Princeton in 1992. Her older sister Susan swam for the Tigers, so Casey was on hand while in the process of deciding where to attend college.
 
"I vividly remember watching how amazing the camaraderie was on the team," Whalen said.
 
The Bulldogs knocked off Princeton that day, and Whalen was sold on Yale. It was a decision she has never regretted.
 
"I love Yale Swimming," said Whalen, who currently is the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Truvvo, an investment firm in New York City.
 
The women's swimming program enjoyed tremendous success during her time at Yale, capturing Ivy League titles in 1993, 1995 and 1996. In her first year, on their way to the league championship, the Bulldogs again knocked off Princeton, this time with Susan serving as the Tigers' captain. In fact, there is a photo of the Whalen sisters together on the deck following the meet – Casey with a big smile on her face and Susan with a frown.
 
More meaningful than the success, though, was the lifelong friends Whalen made at Yale. The Class of 1996 remained virtually intact throughout her four years and are still very tight.
 
"In my day-to-day life, they are still some of my closest friends," she says.
 
Not even a pandemic can keep them from spending time together.
 
"We've been doing monthly zoom calls to catch up, which is really fun," Whalen says.
 
It was while at Yale that Whalen met another person who has had a major influence on her life – David Swensen, Yale's Chief Investment Officer. Whalen took a class taught by Swensen as an undergraduate, and her first job out of college was with the Yale Investment Office. The two remain close to this day.
 
"He continues to be an amazing friend and mentor to me both personally and professionally," Whalen said. "I am immensely grateful for his impact on my career."
 
After a stint as the Director of Public Investments for The Rockefeller University, Whalen, with a recommendation from Swensen, became the first Chief Investment Officer at the New York Public Library. She then moved to Roundtable which later became Truvvo, an investment firm that focuses on assisting families with wealth. She believes deeply in alignment with clients and investments, and in providing the benefits, resources, and skill sets from the institutional world to Truvvo's clients.
 
Whalen, who lives in New Jersey with her two children ages seven and 10, also remains a big supporter of Yale Swimming, serving as the treasurer of the program's association. In addition, she has been heavily involved in Yale Swimming's career mentoring program. Last year, pre-COVID, she hosted the team in her office where the student-athletes interacted with professionals in the field.
 
"That's something we did not have as women back when I was at school," Whalen said. "We've made huge strides there, and it's a way to stay connected to the current team. I really love being able to in some small way help them navigate the career opportunities."
 
And Whalen's advice to the current student-athletes.
 
"I'm a big believer that in your job you should really care about what you are doing," she said. "David [Swensen] also gave me some really good advice that I try to pass on, and that is the people matter more than the job. The people that you work with help formulate your business ethics."
 
Lessons learned swimming at Yale also have benefited Whalen.
 
"There's a sense of resiliency that I learned that has helped me throughout my career," she said. "Swimming forces you to deal with both achievements and failures and that has been super helpful as I've navigated through my career."
 
Whalen is happy to see the Yale programs back under the direction on one head coach. She swam for legendary coach Frank Keefe, who also led the men's team. Whalen has been very impressed with job current head coach Jim Henry is doing.
 
"I'm so excited to have Jim at the helm," she said. "He is amazing. In my era, we were super close with the men, so it's great to see everybody back together again."