Quantinuum Names Rajeeb (Raj) Hazra Chief Executive Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

On February 14, 2023, Quantinuum appointed Rajeeb (Raj) Hazra as its new CEO, succeeding Ilyas Khan, who remains a leader as Chief Product Officer and Vice Chairman. Hazra brings over 30 years of experience in quantum computing and supercomputing, previously serving at Micron Technology, managing a $12 billion P&L. His role aims to accelerate the organization's growth and innovation in quantum applications, addressing critical sectors like healthcare, energy, and climate change. Quantinuum, formed from the merger of Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum Computing, employs over 480 staff worldwide.

Positive

• Appointment of Rajeeb Hazra as CEO expected to drive growth and innovation.
• Hazra's extensive experience includes managing a $12 billion annual P&L at Micron Technology.
• Continued leadership of Ilyas Khan as Chief Product Officer ensures stability.

Negative

• None.

• Quantinuum further strengthens its management and leadership team as it extends its global leadership position.
• Hazra will help Quantinuum, the largest standalone integrated quantum computing company in the world, in its mission to accelerate quantum computing as it enters a period of rapid scaling.
• Current CEO and founder Ilyas Khan remains in the leadership team and will focus on product development and innovation as Chief Product Officer. He also remains a member of Quantinuum's board of directors and will take up the position of Vice Chairman.

TOKYO, CAMBRIDGE, England, and BROOMFIELD, Colo., Feb. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantinuum today announced that Rajeeb (Raj) Hazra has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Quantinuum, effective immediately. In stepping down, current Quantinuum CEO Ilyas Khan will remain a leader in the company. He remains a member of the board of directors and will now become Vice Chairman. In addition, he will remain a full-time senior executive of the company and drive product development and innovation as Quantinuum's first Chief Product Officer – a role that Khan is deeply passionate about. 

Hazra has more than three decades of experience in supercomputing, quantum, and technical roles across the globe. He will work closely with Khan and the executive team to accelerate quantum computing and advance the commercialization of the company. He takes over the leadership of an organization that currently has more than 480 people, driving breakthroughs in drug discovery, healthcare, materials science, cybersecurity, energy transformation and climate change.

"Raj is uniquely qualified for this role, having proven his technical abilities in advanced technologies and supercomputing in both small and large organizations," said Khan. "His vision and leadership skills are exactly what we need to continue to accelerate our impact in the quantum computing sector, as well as society as a whole. He has an entrepreneurial spirit, a strategic mindset, a passion for software and hardware technologies, as well as leadership experience in developing new commercial opportunities for quantum computing. He will continue to ensure that Quantinuum is 'science-led, enterprise driven.' I look forward to partnering with Raj as we create knowledge and real solutions for the world's most pressing challenges." 

"With Raj at the helm, Quantinuum is well positioned to continue to expand its influence on the emerging quantum business sector, and make an impact on real challenges," noted Darius Adamczyk, Quantinuum's Chairman of the Board. "The time is perfect to bring Raj into the company, as we build momentum to drive the next chapter of quantum industries. He will help the company drive high-speed innovation and entrepreneurship in the quantum industry. I'm also grateful to Ilyas for his continued leadership in his new position, and thankful that he will still bring his energy to making Quantinuum successful."

"I'm honored to step into the CEO role, where I'm excited to focus on helping Quantinuum grow and drive the innovations that will transform the way quantum computing positively impacts the world," Hazra said. "By building on the solid foundation that Ilyas and the team have laid, we will continue to accelerate Quantinuum into the future." 

"We are excited to take this next step forward in what is an important moment in the quantum computing industry," said President and Chief Operating Officer Tony Uttley. "We will continue to work with our customers and partners to eventually solve some of the world's most intractable problems that conventional computing doesn't allow, while at the same time continuing to meet our existing commitments."

Hazra was most recently Senior Vice President and General Manager, Compute and Networking Business Unit, and previously Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Communications, at Micron Technology (Nasdaq: MU) where he was based in San Jose, California. There, he created the Corporate Strategy Office, working closely with the CEO staff to define and implement a five-year strategic plan for the company. As General Manager of the company's largest and most profitable business unit, he was responsible for a more than $12 billion annual P&L and a worldwide team across the US, Europe, and Asia in business operations, market development, and customer support functions.

He previously spent 25 years at Intel Corporation, leading the Enterprise and Government Group, Technical Computing Group, Supercomputer Architecture and Planning, and Systems Technology Research. There he transformed the organization to focus on a world of hybrid, multi-cloud infrastructure, resulting in new products and partnerships. He also transformed the business to achieve growth after several years of decline with first-ever strategies to harness the move to hybrid multi-cloud and enterprise use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. He also has deep technical experience leading teams of several hundred researchers spread over multiple geographies.

Raj has a Ph.D. and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, U.S., and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Jadavpur University in Kolkata, India.

About Quantinuum

Location: Cambridge, U.K., Broomfield, Colorado, U.S.A.
Established: December 2021 (through the merger of Honeywell Quantum Solutions (U.S.) and Cambridge Quantum Computing (U.K.))

Quantinuum is one of the world's largest integrated quantum computing companies, formed by the combination of Honeywell Quantum Solutions' world-leading hardware and Cambridge Quantum's class-leading middleware and applications. Science-led and enterprise-driven, Quantinuum accelerates quantum computing and the development of applications across chemistry, cybersecurity, finance, and optimization. Its focus is to create scalable and commercial quantum solutions to solve the world's most pressing problems in fields such as energy, logistics, climate change, and health. The company employs over 480 individuals, including 350 scientists, at nine sites across the United States, Europe, and Japan.

www.quantinuum.com 

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SOURCE Quantinuum

FAQ

Who is the new CEO of Quantinuum as of February 2023?

Rajeeb (Raj) Hazra has been appointed as the new CEO of Quantinuum effective February 14, 2023.

What role will Ilyas Khan assume after stepping down as CEO?

Ilyas Khan will continue as Chief Product Officer and Vice Chairman of Quantinuum.

What is Rajeeb Hazra's previous experience before joining Quantinuum?

Before joining Quantinuum, Hazra served as Senior Vice President at Micron Technology, managing a $12 billion business unit.

What are Quantinuum's primary sectors of focus?

Quantinuum focuses on quantum applications in sectors such as healthcare, energy, materials science, and climate change.