Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) has appointed Gerald Mullally as CEO.

Mullally has served as interim CEO of the quantum computing firm since June 2024 and has led the company through a “period of transformational growth,” the company said in a post on LinkedIn.

These include the launch of OQC’s roadmap, the company’s expansion into the US, which saw the first deployment of a quantum computer in New York City, and the closure of a $60 million Series B funding round.

He assumes the role permanently following approval from OQC’s board of directors.

“Gerald has led OQC with clarity, integrity, and conviction over the past 14 months, guiding the company through a critical phase of development,” said Dr Peter Leek, founder and chief science officer of OQC. “His leadership has brought strategic focus to the business and aligned our scientific breakthroughs with long-term growth.”

Mullally has worked at OQC since 2022, joining as partnerships lead in September of that year. Prior to that, he was a senior official in the UK Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office, joining as a senior advisor in 2014 and assuming the role of director in 2020, during which time he worked on national security issues.

“Leading OQC is a tremendous honor,” Mullally said. “We are not only building a world-class quantum company – we’re shaping a new global industry. I’m proud to work with such talented people to realize the profound potential of our core architecture and deliver commercial impact at scale.”

Founded in 2017, OQC spun out of the University of Oxford and uses its own “Coaxmon” three-dimensional architecture, rather than 2D circuits, to simplify fabrication and improve the coherence of quantum systems.