Quantum News Nexus

A lot of executive appointments of late, leading off with a chip industry vet stepping in on an interim basis a firm involved in an important US federal government project:

PsiQuantum this week announced the appointment of Victor Peng as Interim CEO while the Palo Alto, California, company searches for a permanent chief. Peng was president of semiconductor giant AMD from early 2022 to late 2024 after AMD acquired FPGA maker Xilinx, where he had been CEO. This appointment continues a trend of seasoned leaders from the traditional chip sector taking the reins of quantum computing companies (see Quantum Computing, Inc., and Rigetti Computing) as the latter group looks to leverage proven chip manufacturing practices and scalability strategies.

With the “interim” tag in place, it’s unclear how long Peng’s move to the CEO’s office will last, but his name certainly does add some luster to the firm as PsiQuantum continues to be involved in the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI). PsiQuantum was one of several companies that made Stage B of the QBI, and in recent months has been rising up the charts of notable quantum companies, announcing partnerships with Airbus and Lockheed Martin, and it’s also a key player in the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. PsiQuantum also announced a $1 billion Series E fundraising last September, which involved Nvidia, and it has been the subject of IPO speculation.

“PsiQuantum was founded to realize the potential of quantum computing, and the team has spent years doing the hard technical work to make that possible,” said Jeremy O’Brien, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of PsiQuantum (who also was CEO prior to Peng’s appointment). “As we shift into large-scale deployment and execution, Victor brings exactly the leadership we need. He has guided multiple major computing platform transitions, and I’m excited to partner closely with him as we deliver on PsiQuantum’s mission.”

Peng added,  “The task ahead is execution. Jeremy and the founding team have built something truly unique, and I’m excited to partner closely with them to help translate their mission into deployed systems that unlock this technology.”

Meanwhile, Stuttgart, Germany-based Q.ANT named Dr. Lars Bach as vice president of operations. Bach came to Q.ANT from another start-up, fabless chip company MICLEDI Microdisplays. Bach “will be responsible for driving operational excellence, establishing and scaling infrastructure and supply chain strategies, and strengthening organizational development,” according to Q.ANT, which like PsiQuantum, focuses on photonic quantum computing . “He is also chartered with advancing the quality and industrialization of Q.ANT’s photonic processors and server systems – ensuring that they are robust, scalable, and market-ready.”

Sounds like he’s got a lot on his plate. He isn’t the only new hand at Q.ANT, as his appointment followed the recent naming of Kim Fischer as vice president of marketing and communications, and former IBMer Utz Bacher as vice president of software.

The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park recently tapped Lauren Wilson as its new COO. Wilson arrives from KPMG as things are really starting to ramp up at the Chicago campus; not only with PsiQuantum’s plans, but also the more recent addition of Quantum Machines building a flagship hub at the site.

Finland’s IQM Quantum Computers last month confirmed Co-founder and Co-CEO Dr Jan Goetz as its only CEO going forward, as the company ended its previous co-CEO leadership structure. Mikko Välimäki, who had been co-CEO with Goetz, continues as a company advisor until the end of the first quarter. Also, Dr Søren Hein has been appointed COO and Deputy CEO. Hein previously was with MIG Capital, a key investor in IQM, which is building superconducting quantum computers.

As part of the transition, Mikko Välimäki steps down from his commercial role following a successful tenure as Co-CEO. He will continue to support the company as an advisor until 31 March 2026 to ensure continuity and a smooth transition.

Finally, quantum software firm Haiqu formally announced Antonio Mei as its lead product manager. Mei had been principal technical program manager of Microsoft Quantum.

Image: PsiQuantum execs pictured left to right are Dr. Pete Shadbolt, Chief Scientific Officer; Prof. Jeremy O’Brien, Executive Chairman; Victor Peng, Interim CEO; and Prof. Terry Rudolph, Chief Architect. (Source: PsiQuantum)

Quantum News Nexus is a site from freelance writer and editor Dan O’Shea that covers quantum computing, quantum sensing, quantum networking, quantum-safe security, and more. You can find him on X @QuantumNewsGuy and doshea14@gmail.com.