Molly Fletcher to Speak at Astellas Pharma US Presents Executive Women’s Day at the FedEx St. Jude Classic

MEMPHIS, Tenn. and NORTHBROOK, Ill., June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The PGA TOUR and Astellas Pharma US, Inc. (“Astellas”), a U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo: 4503), today will feature trailblazer sports agent Molly Fletcher at the Astellas Presents Executive Women’s Day, a day-long forum focusing on professional, health-related and personal development discussions, at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

“I’m honored to serve as the keynote speaker for the PGA TOUR’s Astellas presents Executive Women’s Day initiative,” said Fletcher. “The energy in the room is contagious and inspiring, and the relationships built last far beyond the day’s event.”

Today’s invite-only Executive Women’s Day event also offers a breakfast panel, behind-the-scenes tour and networking opportunities. Featured speakers include:

• Keynote Speaker Molly Fletcher: Fletcher, nicknamed “the female Jerry Maguire” by CNN, is a renowned sports agent, author and owner of MWF Enterprises, LLC. She’s worked with top athletes, coaches and personalities during her career as a premier sports agent across multiple professional sports, and serves on multiple boards including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
• Panel Moderator April Thompson: Thompson is an anchor and reporter for WREG News Channel 3 in Memphis. She is a recipient of the Tennessee School Board Association’s award for Excellence in Education for her reporting.
• Panel SpeakerLinda Goodspeed: Goodspeed is the Chief Information Officer at ServiceMaster. She previously worked as Vice President, Information Systems and Chief Information Officer for Nissan North America, Inc., and was named to CIO Magazine’s 2011 list of 25 “Ones to Watch.” Goodspeed is also a founding board member of the Nashville chapter of the Society of Information Technology.
• Panel SpeakerLaurie Tucker: Tucker is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing at FedEx. In 2009 and 2011, she was recognized by PINK magazine as one of the “Top Women in Business.” Tucker currently serves on the Board of Directors for Iron Mountain, Inc., the University of Memphis Board of Visitors, Fogelman College of Business and Economics Executive Advisory Board and The Blues Foundation.
• Panel SpeakerLanetta Anderson, OBGYN: Dr. Anderson practices at Baptist Memorial Women’s Hospital and has more than 17 years of experience working in obstetrics and gynecology.
• Panel SpeakerCarolyn Hardy: Hardy is President & CEO at Hardy Bottling Co. She won the 2008 Business of the Year award, and is on the board of several organizations, including the Memphis Regional Chamber of Commerce, the University of Tennessee CIS, Trust One Bank and the Memphis Leadership Academy.

“We thank Astellas for supporting the FedEx St. Jude Classic and creating opportunities for personal growth and networking for female professionals in the Memphis area,” said Phil Cannon, Tournament Director, the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

The Astellas Women’s Pavilion will also be featured at the FedEx St. Jude Classic during the tournament week. The Pavilion, located near the 18th hole, is an onsite experience and meeting place for tournament participants to engage and learn about health and well-being. Open to all tournament attendees from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Thursday, June 6, the Astellas Women’s Pavilion will continue at seven other PGA TOUR events this season and offers a unique, educational experience with championship-style educational games and other interactive health-related activities.

The events are components of the PGA TOUR’s Women’s Initiative, sponsored by Astellas and designed to provide women with information that promotes their overall well-being. Astellas and the PGA TOUR are working together to inform women about important health and wellness issues, encourage discussion on those topics and create opportunities to talk and learn about them.

“Astellas is thrilled to engage women in a meaningful and productive way through today’s event,” said Pamela Buford, Director, Consumer Marketing at Astellas. “We are committed to creating opportunities like these across the country that empower women to ‘tee up the conversation’ about health and wellness and are proud to be working with the PGA TOUR to help women obtain valuable information and contribute to the local community.”

About Astellas
Astellas Pharma US, Inc., located in Northbrook, Illinois, is a U.S. affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. The organization is committed to becoming a global category leader in focused areas by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities. For more information about Astellas Pharma US, Inc., please visit our website at www.astellas.us.

The Astellas culture and brand is committed to building community, helping others, encouraging integrity and inspiring people to make a difference, today, tomorrow and every day.

About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Canada.

The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to nearly 945 million households in 225 countries and territories in 32 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2012, tournaments across all Tours generated more than $130 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR’s all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.8 billion.

The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR.com, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

SOURCE Astellas Pharma US, Inc.