London, September 27, 2024 – Arqit Quantum Inc. , a leading provider of quantum-safe encryption, today announced a leadership transition. Andy Leaver, a seasoned software company executive and Operating Partner from Notion Capital, has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors, effective today. Co-Founder and current CEO David Williams will step down from his role as CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors. The executive transition reflects a broader transition within the company from its early development stage to a phase of revenue and operational growth.

Mr. Williams’ entrepreneurial spirit was a driving force behind the development of Arqit’s symmetric key cryptography technology; the establishment of the company and key government, financial and partnership relationships. His contribution has been vital in bringing the company to its current stage of development.

Mr. Leaver brings a wealth of experience to the Chief Executive role having held senior executive roles at leading software companies including: Ariba, Bazaarvoice, Hortonworks, SuccessFactors and Workday as well as having been an adviser to several successful private software scale ups (e.g. OnFido). He has expertise in driving sustainable revenue growth and scaling businesses.  He is an Operating Partner at Notion Capital, a leading European venture capital firm and early backer of Arqit. Mr. Leaver will act independently of Notion Capital in his role as CEO and at the direction of the Board of Directors. He has been advising Arqit on its go-to-market strategy as a consultant for the last six months so assumes his new role with understanding of the challenges and opportunities in front of the company.

David Williams, Co-founder of Arqit commented: “I take great pride in the on-going success of Arqit and see a bright future for the company. It has been a pleasure to get to know Andy over the last six months and he has already proven himself invaluable. I am confident he has the right mix of skills to lead Arqit through the next chapter of its journey.”

Andy Leaver, CEO added: “The threat to existing encryption from quantum computers is well documented and Arqit is doing something genuinely transformational in its field. It has a wealth of opportunities ahead of it and I look forward to stewarding the company at this critical juncture. On behalf of myself and the Board of Directors, I would like to thank David for his leadership and drive which has built the foundation for Arqit’s success going forward.”