Tellabs CEO Rob Pullen Says He Is Being Treated for Cancer

Tellabs Inc. (TLAB) Chief Executive Officer Rob Pullen said he has been diagnosed with colon cancer and began chemotherapy a few weeks ago.

Pullen hasn’t shared what stage his cancer is in and continues working at the company full time, George Stenitzer, a spokesman for the Naperville, Illinois-based company, said in an interview. Pullen was named CEO of the networking equipment supplier in 2008, and has worked at the company since 1985.

Tellabs, which reported a loss of $188.4 million for 2011 citing economic uncertainty, appointed Andrew Szafran as chief financial officer this month. He succeeded Timothy Wiggins, who left the company in December to take a similar role at DeVry Inc. (DV) Tellabs is scheduled to report its first-quarter results on April 26.

“I am determined to fight it and beat it,” Pullen said in a statement today. “The doctors already are seeing some positive signs. My energy level is great.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Olga Kharif in Portland, Oregon, at okharif@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jeran Wittenstein at jwittenstei1@bloomberg.net