Local business women network, hear from industry leaders at Executive Women’s Day

Heidi Jameson, director of business development for JaxUSA Partnership, said you could feel the power in the room at last week’s Executive Women’s Day at TPC Sawgrass. 

Presented by Mayo Clinic, the event held Friday, May 4, at the TPC Clubhouse celebrated the accomplishments of women executives and leaders and allowed opportunities for local women to network. Many younger attendees noted how important it was to see and meet women who have risen to executive positions in their industries.  

Moderating the event was Laura Neal, senior vice president of communications for the PGA Tour. She led a panel of speakers that included Christina Zorn, chief administrative officer of Mayo Clinic Florida; Shannon Miller, seven-time Olympic medalist and the most-decorated U.S. gymnast in history; and Susan Song, chief marketing officer of 18 Birdies, a golf software company.

Zorn began her career at Mayo Clinic as legal counsel. Seven years later, she became chair of the Florida division of the legal department at the local Mayo Clinic. Zorn is also on the Board of Trustees at the Bolles School. She and her family live in Ponte Vedra. 

After retiring from gymnastics, Miller began a business career focused on lifestyle and wellness. In addition, she has a clothing line, Salto™ by Shannon Miller, and conducts clinics and works to fight childhood obesity through her foundation. She also sponsors a gymnastics meet in Panama City. As a survivor of ovarian cancer, she works to promote women’s health. Miller, her husband and two children live in Jacksonville.

Song, who also lives in the Jacksonville area, was vice president of global brand marketing and communications for Getty Images and director of global branding and senior vice president of Citi before joining 18 Birdies. The software program allows golfers playing tournaments at their courses or clubs to have a scoring and leaderboard app, as well as a rangefinder on their phones, while playing. Golfers can also get stats and history on their mobile devices. Several PGA Tour, PLGA Tour players and golf affiliated figures have affiliations with the app, including former LPGA player Kris Tschetter, Paige Spiranac and Tony Finau. 

The keynote speaker for the event was Alison Challman. She is the head of global marketing for the Internet of Things Group at Intel Corporation, where she has responsibility for a $3 billion business. She has held several positions with technology companies including Avnet Technology Solutions, Quest Software and Hewlett-Packard. 

After the panel, all attendees were invited to take a group photo with THE PLAYERS Championship trophy. After the keynote speaker’s address, women networked and toured the course.