Professor Ian Walmsley CBE FRS, Chair
Ian Walmsley is Provost of Imperial College London, UK, until September 2025, and Professor of Experimental Physics. He will take up the Directorship of the new Oxford Quantum Institute in October 2025.
He is an expert in quantum photonics applied to information sciences, and his research in optical science and engineering has ranged from ultrafast optics, including the invention of the SPIDER technique for ultrashort pulse characterization, to quantum simulation, including the first experimental demonstration of Boson Sampling.
He was the founding Director of the UK National Quantum Technology Programme’s first Hub on quantum computing, NQIT, and is a co-founder of ORCA Computing, a spin out based on patents from that Hub.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, Optica (of which he was President in 2018), the American Physical Society and the Institute of Physics, and has won several awards, including a CBE in 2024 for “services to science and quantum technologies.”
Dr Angeli Moeller
Dr Angeli Moeller is Group Chief Health Officer and part of the Executive Committee at Zühlke Group. She is also Managing Director at Sequoia Growth, advising venture capital, biotech, and pharma firms. She previously held senior roles at Roche and Bayer, including Head of Pharma International Informatics and VP of Global Data Assets. She co-founded The Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, promoting AI adoption in the field. Angeli also serves on the scientific advisory board of Multiomic Health, is a UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council member, and Vice Chair of the UKRI STFC Innovation and Business Board.
Professor Dominic O’Brien
Professor Dominic O’Brien is a Professor of Engineering Science at Oxford and leads the optical communications group. He is EPSRC funded Hub for Quantum Computing via Integrated and Interconnected Implementations (QCI3). He also leads the EPSRC Future Telecoms Hub in All-Spectrum Connectivity. His research is in the area of optical wireless communications, in both classical and quantum domains.
Professor Gerald Buller
Gerald Buller is the Director of the UK’s Integrated Quantum Networks Hub and was Principal Investigator of the EPSRC Quantum Communications Hub. He is currently a Professor of Physics at Heriot-Watt University and previously an EPSRC Established Career Fellowship in Quantum Technology. He has worked in single-photon physics and its applications since 1990, including quantum communications. In 2012, Gerald was founding Director of Heriot-Watt’s Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, bringing together photonics and quantum specialists from across physics, electronic engineering and mechanical engineering to establish a UK centre of excellence. Gerald co-founded Helia Photonics Ltd., where he remains a company director.
Mr Jonathan Legh-Smith MBE
Jonathan Legh-Smith is Executive Director for UKQuantum, the association for the UK’s quantum industry. Jonathan represents the interests of UKQuantum members nationally and internationally. Jonathan is also a member of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme Strategic Advisory Board, the National Quantum Computing Centre Strategic Advisory Committee, UK coordinator for the NATO Transatlantic Quantum Community Industry Network, NPL’s Quantum Strategy Board and co-chair of the UK’s Responsible Quantum Industry Forum. Jonathan was awarded an MBE for services to science & technology in 2024.
Professor Julia Sutcliffe
Professor Julia Sutcliffe was appointed Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Business and Trade in February 2023.
Julia provides science and engineering advice and independent challenge to the department’s ministers and senior officials, champions an evidence-based approach to decision-making, and builds internal scientific capability. She works with the network of departmental Chief Scientific Advisers and the Government Office for Science to resolve cross-cutting issues and maximise cross-government insights. She is also Head of the Government Science and Engineering Profession at the Department for Business and Trade. She previously served as Chief Technologist at BAE Systems.
Julia holds an Honorary Professorship at the University of Manchester in computer science, is a Chartered Engineer, and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Aeronautical Society. She has represented UK science and technology through a range of advisory council roles. They include as the UK’s industry representative on NATO Science and Technology Board and Programme Advisory Committee member for the UK Atomic Energy Authority. She is an advocate for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and diversity and inclusion within STEM professions.
Dr Michael Cuthbert
With a background in superconductivity and cryogenic systems, Michael has had a number of technical and commercial leadership roles with Oxford Instruments in Japan, the US and the UK, most recently as Head of Quantum Technologies. Michael is a member of the Institute of Physics and sits on several advisory panels, including the NQTP Strategic Advisory Board.
Michael is Aegis Professor in Quantum Technologies at the University of Bristol.
Mr Simon Andrews
Simon Andrews is Executive Director of Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd delivering Fraunhofer Centre Applied Photonics, based at the University of Strathclyde, in Glasgow. This first UK Fraunhofer centre follows the proven German model of providing professional R&D services to industry, whilst staying connected to excellent research in the university sector.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Chartered Engineer who spent many years in the photonics and medical device industries, often taking innovation from concept to market.
Simon is Chair of AIRTO Ltd and Non-Executive Director of PLG Ltd, Technology Scotland Ltd and Glasgow Science Centre Ltd.
