The 20 most influential people driving the quantum technology revolution
Quantum Zeitgeist, a quantum technology media outlet, has named the "20 Most Influential People Driving the Quantum Technology Revolution" who are creating the science and technology of the future and playing a major role in quantum computing. Among them is Academician Pan Jianwei of the University of Science and Technology of China.
Robert “Bob” Sutor
Robert Sutor has been with IBM for more than 30 years and is currently IBM Technical Director and IT Director. He was Executive Vice President of IBM Research for nearly 15 years, and served as Vice President of IBM Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and IBM Quantum Ecosystem Development for nearly 10 years. Currently, he leads the IBM Quantum Technical Relations team and manages investor relations as the IBM Quantum Investor and Influencer Relations Lead. Sutor has written two books titled "Dancing with qubits" (Dancing with Qubits) and "Dancing with Python" (Dancing with Python), which will be published in 2019 and 2021, respectively. And co-authored The Latex Web Companion: Integrating TEX, HTML, XML, and the Mathematical Markup Language (MathML).
Back in 2006, Sutor was nominated as one of the "Open Source VIPs" by Computer Business Review. He has been cited in The Wall Street Journal and The Economist, and has been interviewed in Harvard Business Review, CNET, Electronic Weekly, and Information World.
He covers a wide range of fields: including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, analytics, big data, mobile, software, management, software development, technology strategy, research, marketing, product management, social media, open source, open standards, Linux , web services, XML, Swift, Python, Math.
Dr. Sutor was a graduate representative and a Regent's Scholarship recipient in 1976. He is a theoretical mathematician with a BA in mathematics from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Princeton University.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobsutor/
Terry Rudolph
Terry Rudolph is the chief architect of PsiQuantum, a quantum computing company he co-founded. Professor Rudolph completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Queensland in 1994. There, he spent a year backpacking in Toronto before finally deciding to enter the then nascent field of quantum information for a Ph.D., which he completed in 1998. For the next two years, he lectured at the University of Toronto before continuing his studies with a postdoctoral position in Vienna. A year later, he joined Bell Labs as a researcher. However, he only worked for two years due to the collapse of Bell Labs, so he joined Imperial in 2003 as a Senior Research Fellow. In 2012, he became a professor at Imperial College. Just four years later, he left academia to work on optical quantum computers at the company he co-founded, PsiQuantum.
Terry Rudolph's research work focuses on the foundations of quantum mechanics and quantum information. Discover the PRB theorem with Matthew Pusey and Jonathan Barrette, a breakthrough in quantum mechanics. He is also known for his work on quantum mechanics, Q is for Quantum.
website:
https://www.qisforquantum.org/about-the-author
Seth Lloyd
Seth Lloyd graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He obtained an Advanced Study Certificate in Mathematics and a Master of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge. Lloyd was awarded a Ph.D. by The Rockefeller University after publishing a paper titled "Black Holes, Maxwell's Demons, and the Loss of Coherence: How Complex Systems Acquire Information and How They Use Information." Lloyd is a postdoctoral researcher in Caltech's Department of High Energy Physics, where he works with Murray Gell-Mann on information applications for quantum mechanical systems. He is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Nonlinear Systems at Los Alamos National Laboratory, working on quantum computing. Lloyd later became a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Currently, Lloyd is director of MIT's Extreme Center for Quantum Information Theory (xQIT) and a principal investigator at MIT's Electronics Research Laboratory. He was nominated for a Fellow of the American Physical Society and received the International Quantum Communication Award. He also published the book "Programming the Universe: Quantum Computer Scientists' Challenge to the Universe" in 2007.
According to Lloyd: Once we fully understand the laws of physics, we will be able to use quantum computing to fully understand the universe.
Ilyas Khan
Ilyas Khan is the CEO and founder of Cambridge Quantum Computing ("CQC"). He is also currently the CEO of Quantinuum, the world's largest integrated quantum computing company.
Before joining CQC, he was also the founding chairman of the Stephen Hawking Foundation and a research fellow at St Edmunds College, Cambridge University.
Ilyas is an award-winning best-selling and editorial writer and author of the best-selling Underdogs in Overdrive. He is the founder of the award-winning magazine Asian Literary Review and a technology columnist for the Hong Kong magazine Asia Weekly, where he currently publishes articles on quantum computing and the philosophy of mathematics. Ilyas is a writer who often talks in depth about quantum computing issues and has a long-standing fascination with mathematical foundations and category theory.
His research interests include the philosophy of mathematics, quantum computing, the ethics of business organizations, and Wittgenstein (one of the founders of analytic philosophy), as well as his work on the foundations of mathematics.
He holds a degree from SOAS, University of London. Ilyas is an author of widely published articles and columns and the author of the award-winning and best-selling book, Underdogs in Overdrive. In 2015, Pope Francis made him a Knight of the Order of St Gregory.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilyas-khan-ksg-2a899453/?originalSubdomain=uk
Bob Coecke
Bob Coecke is a Belgian theoretical physicist and logician, currently chief scientist at Quantinuum and professor at Wolfson College.
Coecke received a PhD in theoretical physics from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a postdoc in the theoretical physics group at Imperial College London, and a postdoc in the category theory group at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at McGill University in Montreal. He also has formal links with the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at the University of Cambridge, and has been awarded a long-term visiting scientist position at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, where he accepted a three-month job in 2009.
He was a professor at Oxford University. Since January 2019, Coecke has served as a scientific advisor to Cambridge Quantum Computing Ltd. One of his famous achievements is categorical quantum mechanics.
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/bob-coecke-9389627
Personal website:
comlab.ox.ac.uk/people/Bob.Coecke/index.html
Jack Hidary
Jack Hidary leads Sandbox AQ (just spun off from Google parent Alphabet), developing quantum-inspired physics and artificial intelligence tools and applications that run on today's classical computing platforms. Sandbox focuses on enterprise SaaS solutions at the intersection of machine learning and physics.
Jack is the author of Quantum Computing: An Applied Approach, published by Springer. The book, now in its second edition, is one of the leading textbooks in this field and is used in doctoral programs and corporate training courses.
Jack is an entrepreneur and founder of several tech companies, including EarthWeb/Dice (NYSE: DHX), which he led to its record-breaking IPO. He also co-founded Vista Research, which was then sold to S&P/McGraw Hill.
Jack is a trustee of the X Prize Foundation and a board member of Trickle Up, a company that helps thousands of entrepreneurs start small businesses every year. His foundation, the Hidary Foundation, is devoted to medical oncology research and supports the work of the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Jack's leadership has been recognised by organisations such as the World Economic Forum, HealthCorps and Young Presidents' Organization. Jack studied neuroscience at Columbia University and was subsequently awarded the NIH Stanley Fellowship in Clinical Neuroscience, where he worked on functional brain imaging and neural networks.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackhidary/
Kitty Yeung
Dr. Kitty Yeung is currently a Senior Quantum Architect at Microsoft Quantum Systems. In addition to this, Kitty is the producer of the MS Learn quantum module and the quantum learning website, which provides customized learning materials; she is the creator of the quantum computing comic series; a quantum computing lecturer at HackadayU and Microsoft Reactor; she is a STEAM fashion Founder and designer of the brand Art by physics; she is a creative technologist and head of fashion hacking at Microsoft; a distinguished speaker in the fields of quantum computing and fashion technology.
She graduated from Harvard University with a PhD in Applied Physics with a dissertation on Plasmonic Circuit Engineering in 2D Electronic Systems, and a MS and BS in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge. Kitty worked at Intel after graduation as a research scientist, hardware engineer and user experience designer. She often talks about the Microsoft Garage program and talks about her interests, career, and expertise in the wearables and quantum computing industries.
Her previous jobs include managing the Microsoft Garage in the Bay Area, a program that fosters a culture of innovation at Microsoft. Her work at Microsoft Garage entails fostering collaboration and experimentation between employees and their surroundings. In addition to advancing quantum computing education, she is also passionate about digital transformation in fashion through the Microsoft cloud platform.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kittyyeung1/
Julie Love
Julie Love is the Senior Director and Group Principal Program Manager for Microsoft's Quantum Program, responsible for program management. Focused on advancing quantum technologies, delivering quantum impact to customers, partners and developers, while building a global quantum ecosystem.
Dr. Love has strong technical skills in quantum computing. She received her PhD in quantum physics from Yale University, specializing in quantum nanoelectronics, and worked as a quantum physicist for five years. Her previous experience includes directorships and head of corporate strategy and development at Microsoft and Adobe, and she is also an advisor to two quantum computing startups.
She is also now responsible for Microsoft's engagement with enterprises, startups and developers. He has been a member of the Global Future of Quantum Computing Committee since 2020.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhlove/
Michael J. Biercuk
Michael J. Biercuk is Professor of Quantum Physics and Quantum Technology at the University of Sydney. He is an innovator and quantum physicist leading a team aiming to use quantum physics to develop a new generation of advanced technologies. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his master's and doctorate degrees from Harvard University. Under the direction of 2012 Nobel Laureate in Physics, Dr. David Wineland, Michael received a research fellowship in the Boulder Ion Storage Group at NIST. In addition to this, he assists governments in improving their use of advanced technologies as an advisor to the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
With this expertise, Michael is currently the CEO of Q-CTRL, a fully venture-backed quantum technology company. Due to the company's significant contribution to the steady development of quantum technology, Q-CTRL is the only emerging company outside the United States and Canada to join the IBM Q Network, a company that aims to advance quantum computing and explore practical applications for business and science The internet. The company recently launched black opal, a very popular tutorial designed to teach users how to program quantum computers.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjbiercuk/
Christian Weedbrook
Christian obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Queensland in 2003, majoring in Mathematics and Physics. In 2004 he obtained an honours degree in physics from the Australian National University in Canberra. Christian started his PhD in Quantum Information Theory in 2005 under the tutelage of Tim Ralph (University of Queensland) and Ping Koy Lam (Australian National University). He received his PhD in 2009 with a thesis on "Quantum Information and Quantum Computing Using Continuous Variables".
He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Quantum Computer Technology in the Department of Physics at the University of Queensland, and after graduating he was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Currently, Christian Weedbrook is the CEO and founder of Xanadu, a Canada-based quantum technology company developing universal quantum computers powered by light. Through his research and leadership in academia, government and industry, he has been a pioneer in bringing quantum technology to the world for the past 15 years. Xanadu is at the forefront of developing QML (Quantum Machine Learning) with many programming frameworks such as PennyLane and Strawberry Fields.
Chad Rigetti
Chad Rigetti is the CEO and founder of Rigetti Quantum Computing, a full-stack quantum computing startup. He studied physics at the University of Regina in Canada from 1998 to 2002. While at the University of Regina, he earned a bachelor's degree in physics, made the dean's honors list, and even participated in varsity wrestling as an extracurricular activity. He studied applied physics from 2002 to 2009, earning his Ph.D. at the University of Yale. Rigetti's doctoral research focuses on experimental and theoretical research in quantum computing superconducting circuits, nanolithographic circuit fabrication, and quantum information theory.
A physicist and entrepreneur, he founded Rigetti Quantum Computing in 2013. For hybrid classical-quantum computing, this is the first company to develop a full-stack programming and execution environment. Since then, he has successfully secured investments from Andreessen Horowitz, Vy Capital and other investors, raised more than $70 million, and is now listed on the Nasdaq with gross proceeds of $260 million. In addition to this, Rigetti Quantum Computing has applied for more than 50 patents.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-rigetti-9891562/
Maria Schuld
Maria Schuld is a Senior Research Fellow at Xanadu and a Research Fellow in the Data and Informatics Flagship Project at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. Maria received her PhD in 2017 and did postdoctoral research in 2018-2019. She holds a master's degree in physics from the Technical University of Berlin and a "diploma" in political science from the Free University of Berlin. She is the lead developer of the PennyLane Quantum Differential Programming software system and co-author of the book Supervised Learning for Quantum Computers. Maria holds a Ph.D. in Political Science, and in addition to her research at the intersection of quantum computing and machine learning, she has a keen interest in the interaction between new technologies and society.
In Maria Schuld's scientific work, she focuses on finding ways to improve and scale machine learning through quantum information processing. This creates several problems for which reliable solutions have not yet been found. For Maria Schuld, exploring the potential and capabilities of quantum machine learning can give us the right computable intersection of quantum theory, statistics and artificial intelligence.
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/maria-schuld-7857b070
Ilana Wisby
Ilana Wisby is the CEO of Oxford Quantum Circuits and a veteran tech entrepreneur. She studied at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she obtained a PhD in quantum physics. Oxford Quantum Circuits' strategy to pioneer the quantum computing-as-a-service (QCaaS) market is in line with the UK government's ambition to become a global quantum superpower, while positioning OQC at the forefront of transforming the industry from a deep technology frontier to a revenue-generating one.
Her career started with the book Quantum Physics she read when she was 16 years old. She let go of her dream of becoming a concert pianist and dedicated her life to the field of quantum physics. Over the years, she went through a steep learning curve as a serial entrepreneur, culminating in a headhunt by Oxford Science and Innovation, where she became the company's founding CEO. This gave her an opportunity to use everything she had learned about entrepreneurship, while also leveraging her quantum physics expertise. OQC built and deployed the UK's first superconducting quantum computer in 2018, with the company's QCaaS making this exclusive technology available to enterprise customers through its private cloud in July 2021.
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/ilanawisby
Steve Brierly
Steve Brierly is a global expert on the commercialisation of quantum computing and a member of the UK Government Quantum Computing Expert Group. He has worked in the intelligence community for over a decade and as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, leading a key quantum computing research programme.
In 2016, Brierly founded Riverlane, a research-led start-up building groundbreaking algorithms and software to unlock the predictive power of quantum computing. It is backed by leading venture capital funds and the University of Cambridge, who work closely with forward-thinking chemical, pharmaceutical and materials companies to develop billion-dollar applications using quantum advantage. Steve has always believed that bringing together pioneers in software, algorithms and architecture in one company is the best way to commercialize quantum computers. His ambition is to make quantum computers as common and widely known as the Raspberry Pi.
Steve graduated from York University with a PhD in Quantum Information. He grew up listening to music, playing the saxophone in jazz, funk and soul ensembles.
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/steve-brierley-72127a142
Peter Chapman
Peter Chapman is best known as the President and CEO of IonQ, a quantum computing hardware and software company. Before assuming his current position, however, Chapman began his programming career at the age of 16 by joining the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. With this, he has more than 40 years of experience in software engineering and is known for his work on Amazon's two-day delivery system, as he was the director of engineering for Amazon Prime. His other accomplishments include inventing the original sound card for computers, writing software to prevent mid-air collisions for the Federal Aviation Administration, developing a safety system that protects the integrity of financial markets, and developing tools for the blind while leading K-NFB Reading Technologies . He even founded several companies such as Level Systems in 1989 and Boston Compliance Systems in 1998.
Peter Chapman has been CEO of IonQ for two years, a company that is leading the way in general-purpose quantum computing. He is responsible for the company's successful translation of theoretical concepts into tangible computing options for innovative businesses.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterhchapman
Christophe Jurczak
Christophe Jurczak holds a PhD in Quantum Physics with Neutral Atom Laser Cooling. He obtained this achievement from the Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole Normale Supérieure, the most prestigious in France. In 1996 he studied under the tutelage of Alain Aspect (Institute of Optics, Paris). As a postdoctoral fellow, he spent two years as a researcher at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, focusing on quantum optics. In addition, he has held senior government positions in the defense and energy sectors, and from 2007 to 2015, he held executive positions in the renewable energy industry in Europe and the United States.
After arriving in Palo Alto in the United States in 2015, he quickly began working on the rise of the quantum industry. At first, he started in a consultative position, eventually rising to become head of business development at QC Ware. In 2018, with Charles Beigbeder and Olivier Toneau, launched Quantonation, a deep physics start-up investor dedicated to the development of quantum technologies.
Currently, Christophe Jurczak is the managing partner of Quantonation. He is a leading venture investor and chairman and founder of Le Lab Quantique, a non-profit think tank based in Paris, France.
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/christophe-jurczak
Richard Moulds
Richard Moulds, general manager of Amazon Bracket, is known for his extensive experience in general and product management, strategic planning, corporate and marketing development. He has nearly 20 years of experience in cryptography and key management in the security industry, and before joining AWS, he was a general manager at Whitewood Security. Building on this, he wrote a book called Key Management for Dummies, which discusses his expertise in the creation, maintenance, protection, and control of encryption keys.
His recent work experience includes successfully managing the product life cycle of blue-sky innovation, product definition and development. In addition to this, he has participated in several working groups such as PCI DSS, OASIS, KMIP and CSA.
Currently, Richard Moulds works for Amazon. He is the general manager of AWS Quantum Computing Services. He is responsible for the cloud platform, including the strategic, commercial and operational management of the service. In recent news, there have been reports that Amazon is actively creating a quantum computing partnership under Moulds' management.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-moulds
Alan Baratz
In 2020, Dr. Alan Baratz was named CEO of D-Wave. He previously served as the company's Executive Vice President, R&D and Chief Product Officer, responsible for the development, delivery and support of all D-Wave products, technologies and applications. He has over 25 years of professional experience in product development and new product launches for well-known technology companies and software startups.
He was the first president of JavaSoft, Sun Microsystems. With this, he has been able to oversee the adoption and development of the Java platform, from its inception to the now mature platform that supports mission-critical applications in approximately 80% of Fortune 1000 companies.
He holds a PhD in Computer Science from MIT and has held senior management positions at Symphony, Avaya, Cisco and IBM. He has also served as CEO and President of Versata, Zaplet and NeoPath Networks, and Managing Director of Warburg Pincus LLC.
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/alan-baratz-799b786
Christopher Savoie
Christopher Savoie is currently the CEO and co-founder of Zapata Computing, an American provider of quantum software development services, and is an academic in medicine, biochemistry and computer science. He is best known for being the original inventor of Software Architecture for Adaptive Agents (AAOSA), the technology used to develop Apple's famous artificial intelligence, Siri. In addition, he currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C). As a practicing attorney, he served as Vice President of the American Bar Association. As such, he is considered a public legal expert on artificial intelligence, information security, data privacy and liability issues related to big data.
As CEO and co-founder of Zapata Computing, Savoie announced in an interview that the company is committed to unlocking the enormous potential of quantum technology. In order to apply quantum to real business improvement, the company has grown by leaps and bounds, aiming to educate and train customers and partners so that they can use the technology and have their own ideas. Since this goal may be too expensive at the moment, the company's current benefits may not be much, but they will be relevant to future ideas and projects.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chsavoie
Pan Jianwei
Pan Jianwei is a professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). In 1999, he received his Ph.D. at the University of Vienna, Austria. After graduation, he returned to USTC to lead one of the most successful quantum research teams. Because of this, Pan Jianwei was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2011, considered the youngest academician ever. After three years at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he was appointed director of the Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Technology Frontier Innovation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Jianwei Pan mainly focuses on quantum information and quantum fundamental research. As a result, he has achieved many achievements in the field of quantum computing, winning several awards worldwide. In his most recent quantum computing work, Zu Chongzhi 2.0, developed by his team at USTC, surpassed Google's claimed quantum computing superiority achievement, which occurred in July 2021. In September of the same year, USTC was in the news again because their Zu Chongzhi 2.1 surpassed the benchmark by three orders of magnitude. Known as the "Father of Quantum in China", his influence in the Chinese scientific community continues to this day.
Personal website:
https://quantum.ustc.edu.cn/web/en/node/32
