CN CEO Mongeau to take medical leave for tumor treatment

CN President and Chief Executive Officer Claude Mongeau announced yesterday that he will take a three-month medical leave for treatment of a rare type of precancerous tumor in his larynx.

Mongeau will undergo surgery in late August or early September to remove the tumor, located in the upper left part of the larynx. The surgery will be followed by six weeks of targeted radiation to prevent the tumor from recurring, according to a CN press release.

Mongeau will "remain engaged" as CN's president and CEO during his leave, but Luc Jobin, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will run the company until Mongeau returns to work in the fall.

"This is a serious health setback for me personally, but one of CN's core strengths is that we have a very experienced and tightly-knit senior team that knows how to lead our railway to success. For this reason, I have all the confidence in the world that CN will not miss a beat while I take good care of myself to recover fully," said Mongeau in a statement. He informed CN employees of his health situation in a communication sent yesterday.

CN leaders offered Mongeau their full support and wished him a prompt recovery.

"We are sorry to see Claude facing this unfortunate health setback. Having witnessed first-hand his extraordinary level of energy and determination over the years, we all remain confident that he and his medical team will be able to address the situation‎ so he can soon fully be back at the helm guiding CN forward," said CN Chairman Robert Pace.