Virgin Media O2 CEO takes time out after cancer diagnosis

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.