PsiQuantum Announces New Government Advisory Board Members
New Board Brings Decades of Experience Across Acquisition, Semiconductors, National Security, and Foreign Policy
January 15, 2026
WASHINGTON – PsiQuantum today announced three new members of the company’s Government Advisory Board (GAB), comprised of leaders with decades of public service and policy expertise. The Hon. Stephen E. Biegun, the Hon. Ellen Lord, and Dr. Chris Miller will join existing GAB member Vice Admiral Bob Sharp, USN (Ret.). PsiQuantum will draw on the GAB members' deep experience to advance the company’s partnerships across the public sector.
“Quantum computing will deliver transformational outcomes across the whole of society, and every part and level of government has an essential role to play,” said Prof. Jeremy O’Brien, PsiQuantum Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “We are grateful that such experienced and well-respected leaders share our commitment to deliver the world’s first utility-scale quantum computers in a manner that makes humanity safer, more secure, and more prosperous—and to do so in close collaboration with the public sector.”
The members of the PsiQuantum Government Advisory Board include:
The Hon. Stephen E. Biegun, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State. Mr. Biegun was previously Senior Vice President with The Boeing Company. He has more than three decades of international affairs experience in government and the private sector, including service with the Department of State, the White House, and Congress. In 2021, Mr. Biegun concluded his most recent government service as Deputy Secretary of State, to which he was confirmed by the Senate with a strong bipartisan vote of 90-3. Mr. Biegun began his career as a foreign policy specialist with the United States Congress, with a focus on Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Europe. He served two years as Executive Secretary of the White House National Security Council, serving as advisor to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. Mr. Biegun taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and has led mentoring programs for next-generation U.S. foreign policy and national security leaders. He graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with a degree in Russian language and political science. He is on the board of the National Endowment for Democracy and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
The Hon. Ellen Lord, former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S). In this capacity from 2017-2020, she was responsible to the Secretary of Defense for all matters pertaining to acquisition; developmental testing; contract administration; logistics and materiel readiness; installations and environment; operational energy; chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons; the acquisition workforce; and the defense industrial base. Prior to this appointment, from October 2012-June 2017, Ms. Lord served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Textron Systems Corporation, a subsidiary of Textron Inc. In this role, she led a multi-billion-dollar business with a broad range of products and services supporting defense, homeland security, aerospace, infrastructure protection, and customers around the world. Ms. Lord earned a Master of Science degree in chemistry from the University of New Hampshire, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry from Connecticut College. Currently, she serves on the boards of AAR Corp., Parsons Corp., SES S.A., Trident Solutions, and Exiger while serving as a Senior Fellow at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab and a Senior Advisor at M.I.T. Lincoln Lab.
Dr. Chris Miller, professor at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and author of Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology. Chip War is a New York Times bestseller and a winner of the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award, the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Book Award, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2024 History Prize. It was featured on many “Best of 2022” book lists, including in the New Yorker and the Economist. Dr. Miller also advises businesses and asset managers at Greenmantle, a consultancy, and advises technology startups and investors. He is frequently featured and quoted in media such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times, as well as on NPR and CNBC. Dr. Miller earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree and a Master of Arts degree, both in history, from Yale University, and he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Harvard University.
Vice Admiral Bob Sharp, USN (Ret.), former Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, one of the premier U.S. intelligence agencies. As Director from February 2019-June 2022, he and his team were responsible for delivering world-class geospatial intelligence to provide a decisive advantage to policy makers, military service members, intelligence professionals, first responders, and international partners. He was accountable for over 14,000 civilian, military, and contractor employees working around the clock and globe in over 120 locations worldwide. Vice Admiral Sharp served as a Naval Intelligence Officer for over 34 years, and as a leader within the Navy’s Information Warfare Community since its inception. He has decades of leadership experience in intelligence, defense, and national security. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Pacific and a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is currently the CEO of B Sharp – Global Solutions, doing a combination of consulting, advisory, and fellowship work focused on helping people who are trying to make the world a better place succeed.
About PsiQuantum
PsiQuantum was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The company’s mission is to build and deploy the world’s first useful quantum computers. PsiQuantum’s photonic approach enables it to leverage high-volume semiconductor manufacturing, existing cryogenic infrastructure, and architectural flexibility to rapidly scale its systems. Learn more at www.psiquantum.com.