Virgin Media O2 CEO Lutz Schüler is to take a leave of absence after being diagnosed with cancer.
In a statement titled ‘An update on our CEO’, Virgin Media 02 said Schüler had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer following a routine health check and a series of tests.
“Thankfully, this has been caught in the early stages, his prognosis is very positive, and he’s expected to make a full recovery following surgery in the coming days.
“Understandably, Lutz needs to take some time to focus on his health and recovery so Patricia Cobian, Virgin Media O2’s CFO, will act as CEO in addition to her current role over the next 4 to 8 weeks, with continued support from the Virgin Media O2 Executive Committee.
“We wish Lutz a speedy recovery and look forward to having him back to his usual fighting-fit self.”
Virgin Media 02 also said that it wanted to use this moment to raise awareness of prostate cancer and to encourage men to regularly get checked by their GP or health provider.
Schüler previously served as CEO of Virgin Media from June 2019 to May 2021, after spending 10 months as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. He is also a member of the Liberty Global Executive Leadership Team.
Before joining Virgin Media, Lutz was CEO of Unity Media and served in several senior management roles with the Telefónica O2 group from 1998 onwards.
US writers call on Hollywood studios to take action against AI firms
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has called on Hollywood studios to “come off the sidelines” and prevent tech companies from allegedly using its members’ works to train AI platforms.
Arte joins European Broadcasting Union
Arte, the Franco-German public service broadcaster, has become the newest member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Lee Walters appointed Chair of BAFTA Cymru
BAFTA has named Lee Walters as Chair of its Wales branch BAFTA Cymru.
Paris 2024 audience hit five billion – IOC report
Around five billion people, or 84% of the potential global audiences, followed the Olympic Games Paris 2024, according to research conducted on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
ITV strikes partnership deal with YouTube
ITV is to make hundreds of hours of its programmes available to viewers on YouTube.