Quantum computing developer Pasqal poached Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) executive Mark Armstrong.

The exec had been at HPE for almost 30 years, serving as VP and GM for its high-performance computing (HPC) and AI business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Armstrong left the company at the turn of the year for “time out to travel, ski, get fit, and work on my golf.”

Armstrong joins the French firm developing neutral-atom quantum computers, systems that use optical tweezers to control neutral atoms, using laser light to manipulate quantum registers with up to a hundred qubits.

Having signed recent deals with Aramaco and OVHcloud, Armstrong joins to further drive Pasqal’s commercial strategy, sales execution, and customer expansion across EMEA and Asia-Pacific (APAC).

“Quantum computing is entering its commercial era, and the companies that win will be the ones that can turn breakthrough technology into real customer value at scale,” Pasqal CEO Wasiq Bokhari noted on the hire. “[Armstrong]’s experience scaling HPE’s HPC and AI business is exactly the infrastructure environment where Pasqal’s QPUs (quantum processing units) are now being deployed, meaning he already understands the customer.”

Armstrong joined HPE back in 1997 following a stint at Kodak. At HPE, he helped shape the firm’s go-to-market strategy for AI while leading HPC efforts and major customer engagements.

“Pasqal has the science, the technology, and the customer momentum to define the next phase of quantum computing," Armstrong said of his new role. “My goal is to move fast to scale the commercial engine, deepen partnerships, and help customers across EMEA and APAC turn quantum capability into competitive advantage. The opportunity now is not simply to talk about the future of quantum, but to help customers create quantum-enabled outcomes today.”