Fortinet : Building Collaboration and Community Through Unique Golf Experiences
Fortinet represents more than just technological innovation. In addition to Fortinet’s industry-leading technology, services, and training, to help organizations overcome big challenges, Fortinet regularly connects top technology leaders and experts to have relevant and timely conversations about trends and cybersecurity topics. The company does this by providing unique opportunities for organizations to access trusted advisors and industry leaders through exceptional events and one-of-a-kind experiences. Fortinet is also committed to its corporate social responsibility work, which includes community engagement and giving efforts.
Fortinet delivers on these commitments through its various golf partnerships, including the official PGA TOUR event partnership at the Fortinet Championship, multiple brand ambassadors on the PGA and LPGA Tour, and activations focused on technology in tournaments around the world. Fortinet brings together customers, partners and other cyber leaders around these events to exchange ideas, develop industry opportunities and generate donations to local communities through tournament partnerships.
Global experiences unite cybersecurity leaders
In-person discussions promote the exchange of ideas and solutions that help organizations develop more robust security strategies to manage cyber risks, in addition to providing a fun and engaging environment through these face-to-face conversations. face. Fortinet achieves this across its portfolio of global golf partnerships, from tournaments to brand ambassadors.
For the past two years, Fortinet has been the title sponsor of the annual Fortinet PGA TOUR Championship held in Napa Valley, California, with the next championship scheduled for September 2023. Fortinet also hosts a Safety Summit and a concurrently premier technology expo, bringing together the Fortinet community of elite customers, partners, executives and global industry experts for two days of keynotes, panels and roundtables. Additionally, Drive to the Championship events surrounding the PGA TOUR, including the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, culminate with the Fortinet Security Summit during the Fortinet Championship.
Fortinet is also a title sponsor of the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and a season-long sponsor of the Fortinet Cup PGA TOUR Canada Championship. Last year, the company was also an official cybersecurity partner for two LPGA events: the BMW Ladies Championship in Wonju, South Korea, and the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to also being the Official Cybersecurity Partner of the DP World Tour, Fortinet technology is deployed at tournaments across Europe, Africa and Asia to secure data and provide real-time network insight. .
Fortinet EVP of Products and CMO John Maddison shares, “Fortinet brings together more than just golf experts at these events, we are building and connecting a community of cyber leaders. These collaborative experiences that our golf partnerships provide are invaluable opportunities for our customers. and partners to further strengthen their security strategies for their organizations. There are also many synergies between cybersecurity and golf, including the fact that golf champions like Fortinet brand ambassadors Andrea Lee, Max Homa and David Lipsky have had to effectively manage risk and face extreme challenges to staying on top of their game, just like the uncertainty and risk management that CISOs manage to successfully protect their organizations. »
Contribute to the communities we serve
Fortinet’s golf partnerships also allow us to reinforce our commitment to improving the local communities where our employees, customers and partners live and work. As part of Fortinet’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, we invest proceeds from our golf sponsorships and donate them to local and nonprofit organizations.
In the United States, proceeds from the Fortinet Championship, held annually in Napa Valley, California, are donated to local organizations focused on helping the local community, women and veterans and improving the access to STEM education, including cybersecurity training. In Canada, Fortinet Cup proceeds benefit nonprofits dedicated to helping underprivileged children through the Corey and Malory Connors Family Fund. And in Australia, funds raised through Fortinet’s Australian PGA Championship are donated to the Jarrod Lyle Foundation, which supports children with cancer and their families.
Supporting the advancement of women in cybersecurity
Through our LPGA-sponsored events, Fortinet is able to further support the advancement of women in their careers, which is a cornerstone of our CSR approach. It’s no secret that the lack of gender diversity in cybersecurity is a global problem; women now make up only 25% of the global cybersecurity workforce. And according to Fortinet’s 2022 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report, 70% of organizations rank hiring women as one of their top three challenges.
Proceeds from our golf events are donated to a number of non-profit organizations focused on supporting women. Additionally, Fortinet sponsors two LPGA players – Alison Lee and Andrea Lee – and two Stanford University student-athletes, Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck. These sponsorships align with the company’s commitment to supporting the advancement of women in their professions and fostering greater inclusion and diversity.
Additionally, expanding our existing partnership with AJGA as the Official Diversity & Inclusion/STEM Education Partner, Fortinet announced the first Fortinet Girls Invitational to be held February 17-20, 2023 at Stanford University golf course for top female amateur golfers.
Strong cybersecurity requires collaboration and community
As organizations seek to address a myriad of cybersecurity challenges, in addition to providing cutting-edge technology, Fortinet offers security professionals the opportunity to gain new insights from peers and industry experts. to better protect their organizations through global golf sponsorship gatherings. By challenging existing knowledge through such conversations and interactions, organizations can help our industry solve many problems ranging from lack of cyber skills to disrupting cyber crime, and more.