The Importance in Driving Female Leadership in Quantum

As we celebrate international women’s day, it’s imperative to reflect on the strides women are making in traditionally male-dominated industries and quantum computing lays embedded within this list. Whilst quantum computing is a new industry, women are increasingly asserting their expertise and leadership in this field.

On Thursday 7th March, Laurence Coldicott, Senior Content Director at Quantum.Tech had the pleasure of hosting and moderating a webinar focused around on ‘Driving Female Leadership in Quantum’, where he was joined by four female leaders in quantum including:

• Kimberly D McGuire, Chief Operations Officer for Co-Design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA), Brookhaven National Laboratory
• Keisha Watson, Chief Finance Officer at Entangled Positions
• Claudia Perry, Digital Associate at BP
• Carmen Recio, Team Lead of Quantum Computing at Moody’s

The insights shared from this webinar by each of the four speakers were both inspiring and enlightening with ideas other inspiring females can take back to their organizations to continue pushing the industry boundaries forward.

Top takeaways:

1. Having the right support and infrastructure around you:

Walking into any job can feel overwhelming, especially when you are walking into a position of leadership and power. As Carmen from Moody’s mentions, ‘when walking into any position in quantum, its important to have the right people around you to support you, people to look up to and having a connection with people who have been in that position who can nurture you and give you advice.                                                     

Volunteering can’t be underestimated and the recognition you receive both personally and from others makes the process worthwhile. Carmen goes on to mention ‘when you do things outside of your job, you meet people who are so enthusiastic. The volunteers are so enthusiastic about what they are contributing and within the quantum community, there are so many opportunities to participate in projects all over the world.

2. The full quantum ecosystem needs to collaborate together

Quantum is still a relatively small ecosystem, and you need support from other components, businesses and industries to grow. As Kimberly D McGuire explained ‘Quantum is not just a space for physicists or PhD’s. The ecosystem is keen for support and that is how I was able to come into this space because I am not a physicist, I am a businessperson. Of all my backgrounds, my NBA, all that is based on business and program management. This is a fantastic example of what is needed now.’

Quantum is scientific, however, the scientific can’t really make an impact commercially or globally if you don’t have the supporting systems around. There is so much to contribute to the quantum ecosystem, no matter what your industry experience or background is.

Hear from Kimberly Mcguire at Quantum.Tech USA this April:

Kimberly will be speaking at Quantum.Tech USA this April in Washington D.C. alongside a panel of key government figures including:

• Geetha Senthil, Deputy Director, Office of Special Initiatives, NCATS.,
• Anna Grasselino, Senior Scientist, Director, SQMS DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Center
• Kevin Coggins, Deputy Associate Administrator, NASA
• Garfield Jones. Associate Chief of Strategic Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
• And moderated by Jalal Mapar, Former Senior Advisor, DHS.

They will be discussing and exploring Quantum leadership: The government perspective, Plans and programs. Download the full program here

3. Spreading the word early

Teaching, educating and getting young people into quantum at a young age is crucial. Whilst many are unsure of the direct field they want peruse from a young age, it’s essential to teach and build young people’s knowledge and understanding of quantum from a young age as highlighted by Keisha Watson in the webinar.

If you ask young people about quantum, many are unsure of what quantum as an ecosystem is or have never heard of it. As a result, they wouldn’t know where to start to gain a foothold into the industry. Therefore, it becomes paramount to start showcasing quantum from a young age.

By fostering diversity, building support networks, overcoming impostor syndrome, championing inclusion and serving as a role models, women will not only be shaping the future of quantum computing, but also paving the way for a more equitable and inclusive STEM landscape.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, let us celebrate the achievements of women in quantum computing and reaffirm our commitment to empowering future generations of female leaders.

Hear from Kimberly Mcguire at Quantum.Tech USA this April:

Kimberly will be speaking at Quantum.Tech USA this April in Washington D.C. alongside a panel including:

• Geetha Senthil, Deputy Director, Office of Special Initiatives, NCATS
• Anna Grasselino, Senior Scientist, Director, SQMS DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Center
• Kevin Coggins, Deputy Associate Administrator, NASA
• Garfield Jones. Associate Chief of Strategic Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• And Moderated by Jalal Mapar, Former Senior Advisor, DHS

They will be discussing Quantum leadership: The government perspective, Plans and programs and answering key questions including:

• How are public, prvate partnerships driving quantum success stories?
• What alliances are being made to champion quantum?

Register your place here today to hear more from Kimberly and other leading female experts at Quantum.Tech USA this April.