HORIZON QUANTUM COMPUTING PTE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
Alvin leads Horizon's Finance function, overseeing accounting, reporting, compliance processes as well as financial planning.
Prior to joining Horizon, Alvin held financial planning & analysis roles at Twitch, Intuit and PayPal and other technology startups. He holds a Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) from Nanyang Technological University and is a Chartered Accountant of Singapore.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- VP of Product
Amanda leads the product vision, strategy, research, design and development of our tools for programming quantum computers. She specialises in building products that solve complex problems, and has a strong background in product development and innovation for software developer tools.
Amanda joins us with 6 years experience at Microsoft, where she last worked in product management on Visual Studio App Center. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from Brown University, and executive certifications in Design Thinking, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy, and Finance from Stanford University, Wharton Executive Education and INSEAD Executive Education.
In 2023, Amanda was recognised for her contributions to the tech industry by being selected for the Singapore Computer Society's Singapore 100 Women in Tech list.
Outside work, Amanda enjoys playing squash, hiking, and exploring nature and different cultures.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Scientist
Aurelio Jethro has joined the team to explore and push the boundaries of quantum computing by researching and developing new algorithms that can run efficiently on quantum computers.
In 2022, Aurelio Jethro interned at Horizon where he worked on quantum signal processing. He has since graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor's in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. He did research work in both computer vision and natural language processing but found out in his penultimate year that his interest mainly lay in quantum algorithms and theoretical computer science.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Technical Product Manager
Angelina drives Horizon's technical product development by orchestrating synergies between the end user, science, engineering, and design teams, as well as by building partnerships and collaborations with external stakeholders.
She joins us after her PhD at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore where she worked on integrated photonic circuits and their application to photonic simulation and material science. She holds an MSc in Chemistry with a specialisation in ultrafast photonics from The University of Tokyo and a BSc in Chemistry from Constructor University.
Angelina has a remarkable track record in facilitating Singapore's quantum ecosystem. She is a founding member of Singapore's National Quantum Young Researchers' Association and has been the committee chair of numerous outreach programs. She has extensive experience in shaping national-scale initiatives that bring opportunities for the academic community to grow and in building an awareness of quantum technologies' larger context with industry, public institutions, and society.
Outside of her role, Angelina takes a thorough interest in socio-cultural landscapes and how cultural identities find expression in urban spaces through street art, design, and other creative outlets. She also takes great joy from exploratory initiatives around outdoor and adventure sports.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Senior Scientist
Benjamin is a part of Horizon's Science team.
He joined us after his PhD at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore, where he worked on near-term quantum algorithms for binary optimisation problems. Benjamin also holds an M.Sci in Theoretical Physics from University College London, where he worked on levitated quantum optomechanics.
Outside of work, Benjamin enjoys music, hiking, and exploring new cultures.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Principal Scientist
Dr Denis Chevallier is part of Horizon's Science team.
Denis has over a decade of academic research experience in quantum physics in various prestigious groups (e.g. Université Paris-Sud XI, Universiteit Leiden and University of Basel). He holds a PhD from the Université de la Méditerranée (Marseille, France) in condensed matter physics focused on quantum transport. Denis has published extensively in high-impact journals including Physical Review Letter and Nature Physics. He also has expertise in industrial data science and has worked in leading quantum computing companies in Silicon Valley.
In his spare time, Denis enjoys hiking, skiing and travelling the world to enjoy the local delicacies.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Principal Scientist
Jansen focuses on building algorithms and protocols for Horizon's compiler.
He is an experienced researcher in quantum physics and machine learning, with a track record of publishing in high-impact physics journals and conference proceedings (including Physical Review Letters, NPJ Quantum Information, ICML and NeurIPS). His main research interest includes robustness and reliability of algorithms for classical machine learning and quantum computing.
Before joining Horizon, Jansen had four years of experience as a research fellow in computer science at ETH Zürich. He obtained his PhD from the Singapore University of Technology and Design while doing parts of his doctoral research at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore. Prior to that, Jansen studied Physics at Jesus College, University of Oxford.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Founder
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
Joe Fitzsimons is the founder and CEO of Horizon Quantum Computing, a company advancing the widespread adoption of quantum computing by building software tools that enable all programmers to take advantage of quantum technology.
Before founding Horizon Quantum Computing in 2018, Joe held a tenured position as an associate professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, where he led the Quantum Information and Theory group. He was also a principal investigator at the Centre for Quantum Technologies, contributing to both theoretical computer science and physics through his research.
Earlier in his career, Joe spent time as a fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and a senior research fellow in the Materials Department at the University of Oxford. During this time, he co-invented the universal blind quantum computing which has since become recognised as an important enabling technology for securing cloud-based quantum computing.
Joe holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, where his research focused on quantum computing architectures, and a bachelor of science degree in theoretical physics from University College Dublin.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Senior Scientist
Dr Liming Zhao is part of Horizon's Science team.
She was Horizon's first employee after her PhD at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Following that, she spent two years as a research fellow at the Centre for Quantum Technology in National University of Singapore, followed by another two years as an assistant professor at Southwest Jiaotong University in China, where she taught C and C++ to undergraduate students and researched quantum algorithm for graphical models.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading and engaging in sports.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Senior Scientist
Dr Pooja Jayachandran is part of Horizon's Science team.
She joined us after her PhD at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore, where she worked in quantum foundations, in particular, on specific topics within quantum entanglement theory. She also holds an MSc in Theoretical Physics from the University of Glasgow, where her Master's project was at the interface of quantum information and optics.
Outside of work, Pooja enjoys all racquet sports, with a bias towards tennis. She also finds herself an outdoorsy person, always up for a hike, a road trip, or an adventure of any kind.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Principal Engineer
Ryan is a Principal Engineer at Horizon.
He has worked on a variety of interdisciplinary research projects across fields and topic areas including engineering design, mechanical engineering, systems engineering, computer science, materials science, cognitive science, education, and cyber physical security. He specialises in fuzzy front-end design research topics.
Prior to joining Horizon Quantum Computing, Ryan held positions as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Denmark, and as a postdoctoral scholar at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
Ryan has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University, where his research focused on computational tools for design-by-analogy. He also has degrees in Systems Engineering (MS) and Interdisciplinary Engineering (BS), both from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Job Titles:
- Chief Science Officer
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
Si-Hui has broad experience of quantum information science, having been an active researcher in the field for over 18 years. She received a BSc in Physics from Caltech and a PhD in Physics from MIT. Si-Hui joined Horizon Quantum Computing, shortly after its inception, to pursue the ambition of making quantum computers a reality for everyone. At Horizon, she heads the research development and helps to oversee daily operations.
Prior to joining Horizon, she has worked as a research scientist, initially at A*STAR's Data Storage Institute, and subsequently at Singapore University of Technology and Design and the Centre for Quantum Technologies.
Si-Hui has published extensively in top physics journals, including Physical Review Letters and Physical Review X, and in well-known conference proceedings such as the IEEE Information Symposium on Information Theory and the SPIE International Symposium on Optics and Photonics. She was recently named to the SG100 Women in Tech 2021 list.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- VP of Operations
Eoin leads the development and execution of the company's strategy, working closely with the science and engineering teams to deliver operational efficiency and facilitate meaningful progress.
A retired Lieutenant Colonel, Eoin joined Horizon Quantum Computing after a distinguished 22-year career in the Irish Defence Forces, where he worked primarily in military communications, ICT and cybersecurity. A former Commanding Officer with several overseas tours of duty, Eoin brings a wealth of experience in leadership, operations, project management and logistics to Horizon. With Bachelors degrees in both Mathematics and Physics, and Masters Degrees in Mathematical Physics, Data Analytics, Communications Technology Management and Leadership, Eoin brings a unique blend of expertise and experience to the role.
Outside work, Eoin enjoys reading, playing guitar (poorly) and exploring the world with his family.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Office Manager
- Office Manager for Dublin Office
- Office Manager for Dublin Office / Recruitment
Grainne is an Office Manager based in Horizon's Dublin office. Her primary role is to oversee the operations onsite, assist with the onboarding of employees, and organise both local and international events. She is also responsible for creating office best practices and growing and developing Horizon's working culture.
With over 25 years of experience in Office Management roles, Grainne has previously worked in tech companies like Tableau, Salesforce, Microsoft, and also in other industries. She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Law and a degree in Business Information Systems.
Her hobbies include travel, going to concerts, animal welfare and reading.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Principal Engineer
- Member of Our Technical Team
Kyle is a member of our technical team helping to address the challenges in compiling high level quantum programs into low level quantum circuits that can be mapped directly onto existing hardware.
Kyle interned at Horizon in the summer of 2019 and returned as a full-time staff after graduating from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelors in Computer Engineering. Kyle has also done research work in Computer Architecture and Operating Systems.
Outside work, Kyle enjoys playing and building games (for both classical and quantum machines).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Scientist
Lukas is a part of Horizon's Science team.
Prior to joining Horizon, Lukas studied Quantum Engineering for his Master's, and Electrical Engineering & Information Technology for his Bachelor's, both at ETH Zürich. During his Master's thesis, which he carried out at the Centre for Quantum Technologies in Singapore, he worked on quantum algorithms for solving nonlinear partial differential equations.
In his free time he likes to read (mostly nonfiction) and go on walks and bike rides.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Scientist
Payal is part of Horizon's Science team.
She joins us after her Master's in Quantum Science and Technology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and her Bachelor's in Electronics and Communication Engineering from IIT Dhanbad. During her studies, she delved into a range of topics, namely quantum machine learning using variational quantum algorithms, quantum-inspired classical algorithms using tensor networks, and pulse programming on nuclear magnetic resonance system and nitrogen-vacancy center system. Her Master's thesis was dedicated to researching methods for state preparation of big data for quantum algorithms.
Outside of work, she finds joy in playing squash, listening to music, and exploring her artistic side through sketching and painting.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Office Manager
Sharon Tan is an Office Manager and looks after the office operations at Horizon Quantum Computing. Her role is to ensure that the office runs smoothly on a daily basis. She also handles the onboarding process and helps forge team spirit through the organisation of internal events or celebrations of professional milestones achievements.
Sharon has 23 years' experience in office Management and Administration, with an expertise in supervising and leading office renovation work and office moves. She is skilled in supporting C-Level Executives & Directors and coordinating complex international travels, as well as organising internal and external meetings, and managing off-site events and meetings.
Prior to joining Horizon, Sharon held Office Manager and Executive Secretary roles for various companies in advertising (Publicis and Ogilvy), entertainment (Take-Two Interactive Software, Viacom/MTV Networks/Nick Virtual Worlds Group), logistics (DHL), and other industries.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
- Director of Design
Sofia's role is to ensure that Horizon's tools are intuitive, clear and engaging, with a user-centric approach and a nice look and feel. Her interest for technologies is an advantage in making interfaces that are easy to understand and use, even if you know close to nothing about quantum computers.
Sofia joined us from France, where she has 5 years' experience as a designer, working on all sorts of mediums of interactions, from apps and websites to IoTs and voice assistants. She has a Master's degree in interactive design from GOBELINS, l'école de l'image in Paris, and specialises in UX and Service Design.
Her work philosophy: "That's what creativity is - intelligence having fun" (A. Einstein, J. Reiman, or even G. Scialabba, depending on who you ask). This is something she also applies in her hobbies, which are music, cooking and creating costumes from scratch.
Job Titles:
- Marketing Specialist
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
Suhaila is part of Horizon's Marketing and Communications team.
Before Horizon, Suhaila has 9 years of experience in roles within the full spectrum of marketing, project management and sales. She is an expert in thought leadership and technical content development, having been working across different industries such as FinTech and EduTech in the start-up ecosystem. She is also an events management whiz, previously overseeing and coordinating multiple events simultaneously across the region for the likes of Google and Dynamic Yield.
Outside of her role, Suhaila spends lots of time at the skatepark with her 5 year old who is determined to be a professional skateboarder one day. Otherwise, she also enjoys boxing and DJ-ing.
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
Sumanth is leading Horizon's Human Resources.
Sumanth's career is spanning 20 years across Tech, HR and Operations. Prior to joining Horizon, Sumanth was at Google heading the Talent Intelligence team and Scaled Talent Acquisition team for APAC recruiting. He has worked across multiple roles in HR including building teams from scratch and scaling them rapidly. Before that, Sumanth worked in the semiconductor Industry at Lam Research (formerly Novellus), holding multiple roles including as an Application Engineer and a Software Development Manager.
Sumanth holds a Bachelor in Engineering from VTU (India) and an MBA from NUS (Singapore).
Outdoor lover, Sumanth appreciates hiking, running and long-distance motorcycling. Climbing is something that he picked up recently with his daughter and enjoys indulging in on weekends.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Communications
- Member of the Discover the Rest of the Team
The mission of Yanina Blaclard is to develop Horizon Quantum Computing's brand, and lead the company's media relations, thought leadership strategy and participation in industry events.
Yanina has 18 years' experience driving marketing and communications strategies, including thought leadership programmes on innovation and technologies.
Yanina was previously with the Embassy of France in Singapore as a Communications and Partnerships Manager. Prior to that, she held various Communications roles at a major French bank Societe Generale in headquarters in Paris, and Singapore.
From her childhood in Saint-Petersburg, Yanina kept her curiosity for the arts (in particular, photography), love for chess and interest for intellectual games such as Mozgva, which she plays here in Singapore.