When Sherry Nolan examines the work force at Goodyear, the future is always on her mind.

"One thing that keeps me awake at night is, 'Five years from now, who will be working at Goodyear?'" says Nolan, the newly appointed director of global talent management, development and diversity at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. "I consider human-resource leaders to be futurists, and great HR talent is looking forward and determining how they are going to have a competitive advantage in the marketplace."

Only several months into her new role, Nolan has embraced the corporate culture at Goodyear, diving headfirst into the implementation of her goals, which come from her understanding of diversity and inclusion.

"My goals [at Goodyear are]: positioning our employment brand, evolving on our leadership and development programs to meet the needs of future generations, and, ultimately, helping the HR organization connect to the business as better partners so that we can make some of these things happen," explains Nolan.

Since Goodyear has manufacturing operations in 25 countries, Nolan must grasp the corporate culture in the United States and also abroad.

"This is a global initiative," she says. "The effort and energy put forth in acquiring talent or positioning ourselves to grab our fair share of the marketplace is a global equation for me."

Still, Nolan never loses sight of the importance of her team, especially during the current economic crisis. Without them and the diversity of thought that they bring to the table, she says that her goals would be difficult to implement.

"The most gratifying part for me in coming to Goodyear is helping people achieve their potential, raising the bar on performance and helping people get there," explains Nolan.

She adds, "Your people are your best asset at all times, but specifically in times like these."