PRESS RELEASE
Appointment of Former GCHQ Director Sir Jeremy Fleming to Board of Oxford Quantum Circuits shows importance of Quantum Computing to UK National Security and Prosperity
- Former Director of GCHQ to bring significant national security experience and expertise to OQC’s Board
- Appointment shows the crucial role quantum computing will play in UK leadership in emerging technologies that will be fundamental to the global economy, defence, national security and resilience
- Jeremy Fleming warns if the UK doesn’t maintain leadership in quantum computing, the country’s economic resilience and security will be put at risk
READING, UK – 19 May 2025 – OQC, a global leader in quantum computing, today announced the appointment of Sir Jeremy Fleming KCMG, former Director of GCHQ, to its Board. The appointment underscores the critical importance of quantum computing for the UK’s economic growth and its industrial strategy for the future of sectors such as national security, defence, and cyber security.
Sir Jeremy led GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence and cyber security agency, from 2017 to 2023. During his tenure, he transformed the organisation into a globally recognised cyber institution, establishing the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and co-founding the National Cyber Force—significantly enhancing the UK’s sovereign cyber capabilities. Sir Jeremy introduced a sharp focus across UK Government on the role of technologies, including communications and computing capabilities, in UK national security.
Sir Jeremy, in his role heading GCHQ, advised successive Prime Ministers, and served on the National Security Council and Joint Intelligence Committee. Sir Jeremy played a pivotal part in managing the UK’s response to major security incidents, including the WannaCry cyber-attack on the NHS, the Novichok poisonings in Salisbury, and strategic responses to geopolitical challenges including the invasion of Ukraine. His distinguished career began at MI5 in 1993, where he led critical operations, including the response to the 2005 London terrorist attacks and security preparations for the London 2012 Olympics.
Sir Jeremy Fleming said:
“To deliver economic growth and protect from future threats, the UK must maintain its leadership in emerging technologies. Quantum computing is central to that endeavour. In the future, we will not be able to promote our economy and keep the country safe, if we don’t invest in quantum capabilities. Quantum computing will be vital to protecting the UK’s networks, assets and people. That’s why I’m pleased to join the team at OQC, which has the research, capabilities and team to be at the forefront of UK’s quantum computing revolution.”
Jack Boyer OBE, Chair of the OQC Board, said:
“Sir Jeremy brings deep experience from the highest levels of intelligence and security—insight that will be instrumental as OQC delivers quantum computing into the sectors where trust, security, and national advantage matter most.”
Gerald Mullally, Interim CEO of OQC, said:
“Sir Jeremy’s appointment reinforces our strategy to develop quantum computing for sectors of critical national importance—security, defence, and finance. His leadership and deep expertise in security and technology will help sharpen our focus as we scale quantum infrastructure for markets and nations.”
Quantum computing will be crucial for national security because of the benefits it confers in terms of solving complexity much faster than classical hardware, delivering vastly quicker data-processing. It will in the future give defining advantage on the battlefield, for intelligence, or as part of national security operations, to those who develop the right quantum capabilities and factor them into decision-making. It is essential for countries looking to protect their networks that their quantum capabilities keep pace with those of adversaries.
OQC’s architecture is world leading, recently demonstrating the fastest and most accurate gate speeds ever benchmarked. Alongside Riverlane, it has won a significant tender from the UK Government to develop the UK’s first Quantum Error Correction testbed integrated into a data centre. OQC is the only company in the world to integrate quantum into secure data centre infrastructures, critical for national security and defence.
About OQC
Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) is pioneering the quantum-accelerated world, delivering enterprise-grade quantum systems designed for commercial and strategic advantage. As Europe’s first Quantum-Compute-as-a-Service provider—and the only company integrating quantum in commercial data centres—OQC brings quantum capability to the heart of financial and national infrastructure. Our application-optimised compute empowers customers in finance, security, and defence to solve intractable problems—reshaping industries and strengthening sovereign advantage.
