Level 3 CEO Returns From Heart Surgery

Level 3 Communications’ CEO is returning to work after heart surgery sidelined him for two months.

Jeff Storey officially is taking the reins back at Level 3 after taking a medical leave of absence.

Surgery was successful for Storey’s heart condition, specifics around which Level 3 has declined to disclose. He stepped away from work Feb. 24.

Storey said on Wednesday that he was pleased to be back, and he tipped his hat to Sunit Patel, who served as interim CEO in his place.

“He, along with our entire Level 3 team, stayed focused on our business objectives and delivering a superior customer experience,” Storey said.

Patel reverts back to his role as executive vice president and chief financial officer for the telecommunications provider.

James Ellis, chairman of the company’s board of directors, thanked Patel and the executive management team for their work.

“The Board is pleased Jeff has made such a speedy recovery and is back, in good health, at full capacity,” Ellis said. “We are confident that Jeff will pick up right where he left off, driving business growth in pursuit of Level 3’s vision to be the trusted connection to the networked world.”{ad}

Level 3 celebrated a strong fourth quarter just before Storey took his leave of absence. The company reported a profit of $3.32 billion – the latest positive numbers after struggling with debt for years.

Storey pointed to the demand for bandwidth as a factor for the growth.

“These demand drivers are creating an enterprise networking opportunity that is well suited for the depth, scale and reach of Level 3’s global network and capabilities,” he said in February. “We believe we are well positioned to continue to take enterprise market share.”