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D-Wave forms independent subsidiary for U.S. government business

Quantum computing company D-Wave Systems announced the formation of D-Wave Government, a U.S. subsidiary formed to provide D-Wave’s quantum computer systems to the U.S. government.

René Copeland, director of Government Sales for D-Wave Systems, was named president of the new subsidiary. Mr. Copeland previously led sales to the U.S. government for SGI, Cray, Platform Computing and other firms.

D-Wave also announced the members of the subsidiary’s independent board.

Appointed to the board of D-Wave Government are:

  1. Jeffrey Harris, the new board chair, was formerly president of Special Programs and president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space, at Lockheed Martin.
  2. Dr. Delores Etter, who served as the deputy under secretary of Defense for Science and Technology, and assistant secretary of the Navy. Dr. Etter is currently on the faculty of Southern Methodist University in the Department of Electrical Engineering.
  3. Frances Fleisch, former executive director of the National Security Agency and special advisor to the U.S. Strategic Command.
  4. Dr. Donald M. Kerr, former principal deputy director of National Intelligence, former director of the National Reconnaissance Office, former deputy director of the CIA for Science and Technology, former assistant secretary of Energy and director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dr. Kerr is vice chairman of the MITRE board.
  5. Vern Brownell, CEO of D-Wave. Before joining D-Wave in 2009, Mr. Brownell founded and held executive positions at Egenera, and was at Goldman Sachs as the chief technology officer.
  6. V. Paul Lee, board chair of D-Wave Systems , and managing partner of Vanedge Capital. Mr. Lee was formerly the president of Electronic Arts.
  7. Don Listwin, director of D-Wave Systems, a venture technology investor, and founder of the Canary Foundation.

[Image courtesy: D-Wave]

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