PRESS RELEASE
Former HSBC CEO Colin Bell Joins OQC Board, Strengthening Quantum Leadership Across Finance, Defence, and Critical National Infrastructure
- Colin Bell, former CEO of HSBC Bank plc and HSBC Europe, joins the Board of Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), bringing deep experience in banking, compliance, and risk management
- Bell’s appointment reinforces OQC’s leadership in quantum computing for financial services, and highlights the sector’s growing demand for next-generation technologies
- His prior roles with the UK Ministry of Defence and NATO further strengthen OQC’s strategic capabilities in national security, defence, and sovereign technology infrastructure
READING, UK – 18 August 2025 – OQC, a global leader in quantum computing, today announced the appointment of Colin Bell, former CEO of HSBC Bank plc and HSBC Europe, to its Board of Directors. The appointment highlights the pivotal role quantum computing is set to play in transforming global finance and strengthening resilience across sectors such as security and defence.
Colin Bell is a Non-Executive Director at Serendipity Capital and brings deep expertise in global banking, compliance, and financial crime risk. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Bank plc and HSBC Europe, and as Executive Director of HSBC Bank plc. Prior to that, he was Group Chief Compliance Officer and Group Head of Financial Crime Risk at HSBC Group, following senior leadership roles at UBS, including Head of Compliance and Operational Risk Control.
Before entering financial services, Bell served for 16 years in the British Army, where he held a range of command and staff roles, including operational tours in Iraq and Northern Ireland. He also held appointments with the UK Ministry of Defence and NATO, contributing to national security, defence strategy, and international coordination. He holds advanced degrees in defence, cyber and technology from King’s College London and Cranfield University. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (UK), and holds a BSc in Applied Physics and Electronics from Durham University.
Colin brings deep expertise in global banking, compliance, and financial crime, further strengthening the Board’s focus on quantum applications in financial services. His experience in national security and defence – alongside that of Sir Jeremy Fleming—enhances OQC’s strategic depth across sovereign and critical infrastructure domains. His appointment reflects OQC’s leadership in quantum computing for sectors fundamental to national resilience and security.
Colin Bell said:
“OQC stands out for its clarity of vision in bringing quantum computing to sectors where security, resilience, and performance are critical. With world-class technology and scientific depth, the company is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. I’m excited to join the Board at this pivotal moment and support OQC’s next phase of growth and global scale.”
Jack Boyer, Chair of the OQC Board commented:
“I’m delighted to welcome Colin Bell to the OQC Board. He brings a rare combination of leadership across global finance, defence, and operational risk – experience that aligns directly with our mission. His appointment further strengthens the Board as we scale quantum computing in sectors where trust, resilience, and performance are critical to success.”
Gerald Mullally, CEO of OQC, added:
“Colin’s appointment strengthens OQC’s leadership as we deliver on a clear strategy: unlocking quantum capabilities for sectors vital to national and economic security. Quantum is here now – and Colin’s expertise in global finance, defence, and risk will be pivotal as we accelerate commercial adoption and extend our global reach.”
Quantum computing presents transformative opportunities for the financial sector as early as 2028 – enabling faster, more effective detection of anomalies in trading patterns, fraud, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities across networks and data infrastructure. Its ability to solve problems beyond the reach of classical systems will unlock new speed, scale, and insight across financial services. This fundamental advantage is driving early adoption among leading global institutions.
OQC is uniquely positioned to lead this next wave of quantum innovation. Its world-leading, patented architecture – and recent advances in dual-rail dimon qubit technology – places the company at the forefront of scalable quantum computing. These innovations mark a critical step toward building reliable, fault-tolerant quantum systems.
Aligned with the UK Government’s modern Industrial Strategy, OQC recently hosted Lord Vallance at its UK data centre site to discuss national quantum funding priorities. At this same facility, OQC and Riverlane are advancing a major tender to deliver the UK’s first Quantum Error Correction testbed integrated into a live data centre – critical infrastructure for achieving the UK Quantum Mission. OQC remains the only company globally to have integrated quantum computing into secure data centre environments, a capability essential to national security, defence, and sovereign resilience.
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.
