PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. and NORTHBROOK, Ill., Feb. 26, 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 introduce the first Astellas Presents Executive Women's Day, a day-long forum focusing on professional, health-related and personal development discussions, at the Honda Classic Tournament. The event is part of a 3-year agreement between the TOUR and Astellas in which Astellas will champion the PGA TOUR's commitment to its new Women's Initiative.  

"Today's event marks an exciting milestone as the kickoff of the PGA TOUR's new commitment to women through the Women's Initiative," said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. "We're delighted to be collaborating with Astellas by engaging with leading female business professionals in the Palm Beach Gardens community."

Today's invite-only event offers a breakfast panel, topic-specific breakout sessions, networking opportunities and a keynote speaker. Featured speakers include:

• Keynote Speaker Molly Fletcher: Nicknamed "the female Jerry Maguire" by CNN, Fletcher is a renowned, trailblazer 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 Speaker Claudia Lezcano: Entering her second season as the Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President-Chief Marketing Officer, Lezcano oversees the organization's marketing, community relations, events and entertainment and digital and print media departments. She also heads up the Miami Dolphins Foundation, which is devoted to providing and supporting signature education, health, youth athletic programs and volunteer activities that inspire and engage communities throughout Florida.
• Breakout Session Speaker Dr. Melanie Bone:  Board-certified gynecologist Dr. Bone is a national speaker on hereditary cancer syndromes and writes a column for the Palm Beach Post Health. She actively practices gynecologic surgery with expertise in minimally-invasive laparoscopic surgery, menopause, cancer risk assessment, solutions and support.
• Breakout Session Speaker Michelle McGann:  McGann joined the LPGA Tour in 1988, and since joining, she has seven victories to her name. Prior to joining the LPGA Tour, McGann was ranked the number one amateur in the world by both GOLF Magazine and Golf Digest in 1987.  Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 13, McCann has dedicated her time to numerous related causes, including founding The Michelle McGann Fund, which assists underprivileged children and families suffering from diabetes.

"Astellas is pleased to kick off a series of exciting events that engage local communities throughout the PGA TOUR season with today's Executive Women's Day," said Pamela Buford, Director, Consumer Marketing at Astellas and Executive Women's Day panel speaker. "The goals for today, and for all of these events, are to educate and connect with the engaged and growing female fan base of the PGA TOUR in a meaningful and productive way, and offer information that promotes overall well-being."

The 2013 TOUR season Women's Initiative components will span 17 tournaments.

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 Latinoamerica 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 $122 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.

Media Contacts

PGA TOUR
Chris Smith
(904) 273-3379
csmith@pgatourhq.com

Astellas
Jenny Kite
(224) 205-5405
jenny.kite@astellas.com

Paula Mavroudis
(312) 240-2709
paula.mavroudis@edelman.com

SOURCE Astellas Pharma US, Inc.