Quantum Canada CEO steps down as government pours $334M into sector

The inaugural CEO of Canada's primary quantum computing industry group is stepping down.

Quantum Industry Canada announced Thursday that Lisa Lambert will leave at the end of June to pursue a new career opportunity. Chief of staff Sean Lee, who also leads communications and engagement at particle accelerator centre TRIUMF, will serve as interim CEO.

Lambert, who led the organization since 2023, said the decision came after significant policy gains for the sector.

"There is tremendous momentum behind quantum in Canada and around the world, and I have every confidence in Sean Lee, the QIC team, and the broader community as QIC continues advancing its mission," Lambert wrote to BetaKit in an email Thursday. She said the move felt like the right next challenge at this stage of her career.

The transition follows a busy lobbying period for QIC. Founded in 2019, the group had pressed the federal government for a quantum "champions" program to keep domestic firms headquartered in Canada. That recommendation appeared in QIC's pre-budget submission last fall. In response, Ottawa allocated $334.3 million to quantum technology over five years, with $23 million in up-front funding going to Toronto's Xanadu and Vancouver's Photonic.

Federal innovation minister Evan Solomon thanked Lambert for her service in a news release. As the government backs a small set of quantum companies – all of them QIC members – the association's role in shaping policy is likely to remain central. Lee takes over at a time when the funding pipeline is just beginning to flow.