The world’s largest tire company, based in Akron, Ohio, is welcoming Nicole Gray to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, assuming the role on 1 July 2024. She replaces Gary VanderLind, who is retiring after 38 years with the company.
A seasoned labor and employment attorney, Gray has more than two decades’ experience in good corporate governance and large-scale organizational changes. She began working for Goodyear in 2016, and she has since held several senior HR leadership positions that have formed Goodyear’s global human resource strategy to reduce complexity and build efficiency to advance the business.
“Nicole Gray is an exceptionally qualified leader who is ready to take on this critical role,” said Mark Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Goodyear. “Since joining Goodyear in 2016, Nicole has proven herself to be forward-thinking, strategic, and collaborative. In both her legal and HR leadership roles, Nicole has been instrumental in critical people strategies around the world. She is the right human resources leader to help deliver on our Goodyear Forward plan as we navigate the increased complexity of our labor landscape, attract and develop talent, and advance our global HR function.”
Stewart also commended the retiring Gary VanderLind, who, after joining Goodyear nearly 40 years ago in the company’s retail business, has spent his career in human resources building organizational capability and associate engagement across the manufacturing plants, businesses, and overseeing the function globally.
The arrival of Gray, whose first day at Goodyear will be 30 July, marks a critical juncture for the company as it tackles the new world of work and addresses talent – a word that has become a rallying cry in the strategic workforce planning world. She has strong experience in labor and employment law in addition to human resources capabilities and a history of leading transformative change with employee experience at the center.
Gray will assume the role of Chief Human Resources Officer at Goodyear and will lead the company’s global human resources function, including talent management, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and organizational development. Her agenda will include cultivating a culture of innovation, diversity and inclusiveness that will attract and retain top talent to support Goodyear’s business goals.
The fact that Goodyear named Gray Chief Human Resources Officer signals that the company plans to continue making key investments in its people so it can compete in what promises to be an even more challenging and competitive industry.