Building Collaboration and Community Through Unique Golf Experiences

Fortinet stands for more than just technology innovation. In addition to our leading technology, services, and training, to help organizations overcome big challenges, we regularly connect top technology leaders and experts to have relevant and timely conversations on cybersecurity trends and topics. We do this by providing organizations with unique opportunities to access trusted advisors and industry leaders through exceptional events and unique experiences. Fortinet is also committed to our corporate social responsibility (CSR) work, which includes community engagement and giving efforts.

Fortinet upholds these commitments through our various golf partnerships, including the PGA TOUR official event partnership at the Fortinet Championship, multiple brand ambassadors across the PGA and LPGA Tour, and technology-driven activations across tournaments globally. Fortinet brings together customers, partners, and cyber leaders surrounding these events to exchange thought leadership, develop industry opportunities, and drive donations to local communities through tournament partnerships.

Global Experiences Bring Cybersecurity Leaders Together

In-person discussions foster the exchange of ideas and solutions that help organizations develop more robust security strategies to manage cyber risks—in addition to offering a fun and engaging environment through these face-to-face conversations. Fortinet achieves this across our entire portfolio of global golf partnerships from tournaments to brand ambassadors.

For the past two years, Fortinet has been the title sponsor of the PGA TOUR’s annual Fortinet Championship held in Napa, California, with the next championship scheduled for September 2023. Fortinet also hosts a best-in-class Security Summit and Tech Expo in parallel, bringing together the Fortinet community of elite customers, partners, executives, and global industry experts for two days of keynotes, panels, and roundtable discussions. Additionally, the 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 PGA TOUR Canada’s Fortinet Cup Championship. Last year, we were 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 being the Official Cybersecurity Partner of the DP World Tour, Fortinet technology is being deployed during tournaments across Europe, Africa, and Asia to secure data and provide real-time insight into the network.

Fortinet EVP of Products and CMO John Maddison shares, “Fortinet is bringing together more than just golf experts at these events, we’re 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 that golf champions like Fortinet brand ambassadors Andrea Lee, Max Homa, and David Lipsky have had to effectively manage risks and face extreme challenges to stay at the top of their game, similar to the uncertainty and risk management CISOs deal with to protect their organizations successfully.”

Contributing to the Communities We Serve

Fortinet’s golf partnerships also allow us to further our commitment to enhancing the local communities in which our employees, customers, and partners live and work. As part of Fortinet’s corporate social responsibility efforts, we invest the proceeds from our golf sponsorships and donate them to local organizations and nonprofits.

In the United States, proceeds from the Fortinet Championship are donated to local organizations focused on helping the local community, women, and veterans and increasing access to STEM education, including cybersecurity training. In Canada, proceeds from the Fortinet Cup benefit nonprofit associations dedicated to helping underprivileged children through the Corey and Malory Conners Family Fund. And in Australia, the funds raised in conjunction with 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 further able to support the advancement of women in their careers, which is a key cornerstone of our CSR approach. It's no secret that the lack of gender diversity in cybersecurity is a worldwide issue; women only make up 25% of the global cybersecurity workforce today. And according to Fortinet’s 2022 Cybersecurity Skills Gap global report, 70% of organizations find hiring women among their top three challenges.

Proceeds from our golf events are donated to a number of nonprofits focused on supporting women. Additionally, Fortinet sponsors two LPGA players, Alison Lee and Andrea Lee, and a female Stanford University student-athlete, Rachel Heck. These sponsorships align with the company's commitment to supporting the advancement of women in their professions and fostering greater inclusivity and diversity. 

Additionally, expanding our existing partnership with the AJGA as the Official Diversity & Inclusion/STEM Education Partner, Fortinet has announced the inaugural Fortinet Girls Invitational for top female amateur golfers, happening February 17–20, 2023, at Stanford University’s golf course.

Strong Cybersecurity Requires Collaboration and Community

As organizations look to address myriad cybersecurity challenges, in addition to providing leading technology, Fortinet is providing security professionals the ability to gain new ideas from peers and industry experts to further protect their organizations through global golf sponsorship gatherings. By challenging existing knowledge through such conversations and interactions, organizations can help our industry to improve multiple issues ranging from the cyber skills gap to disrupting cybercrime and more.