Innovative leader, technologist, and author with strong experience in quantum computing, AI, blockchain, analytics, data science, mobile apps and technologies, cloud, social media, open source, and industrial research. A strategic and operational executive with a demonstrated ability to transform his company and the IT industry around leading-edge technologies.

A persuasive, global professional with an international reputation as a thought leader in emerging technologies. An inspiring communicator with exceptional presentation skills and the ability to help others understand deeply technical topics and how they will help drive significant innovation in the future.

Specialties: quantum computing, AI, Python, blockchain, analytics, big data, mobile, software, management, software development, technical strategy, research, marketing, product management, social media, open source, open standards, Linux, web services, XML, mathematics.

Bob Sutor speaking at EmTech China in Beijing in 2018 Bob Sutor speaking at the Quantum Summit / AI Summit in London in 2018 Bob Sutor speaking at IBM Think Milano (Italy) in 2018 Bob Sutor speaking at EmTech Digital LATAM in Mexico City in 2018 Bob Sutor speaking at the Museum of Science, Boston, on April 6, 2019. Photo by Carol Lynn Alpert. Bob Sutor speaking #BCTECHSummit in Vancouver in March, 2019

Professional Experience
Education and Training
Selected Press Interviews, Profiles, and Videos
Selected Keynotes, Speeches, and Panels
Brief Biography
Photos

Professional Experience

Vice President and Practice Lead, Emerging Technologies
The Futurum GroupAdvisor, analyst, author, speaker, and moderator in emerging technologies, including quantum computing and sensing, advanced AI software and application, and AI semiconductor accelerators.		 March 2024–present
Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University at BuffaloAs an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, I taught a graduate seminar on quantum computing and other quantum technologies, such as sensing. I brought in industry experts from vendors to give the students knowledge from the scientists and engineers developing these technologies. I used my book Dancing with Qubits for the quantum computing material.		 February 2023–present
Part-time
Vice President and Chief Quantum Advocate
Infleqtion / ColdQuanta, New York and Boulder, CO		 October 2022–present
Responsible for translating the value of Infleqtion / ColdQuanta quantum sensing and computing technology so it can be understood and used by businesspeople, investors, government decision-makers, industry analysts and influencers, students, educators, and the media. Via speaking engagements at conferences and analyst briefings, responsibilities include positioning Infleqtion / ColdQuanta as a major international commercial participant in all quantum markets that it pursues. Mentors more junior executives and technical staff on creating global business value in the highly competitive deep tech quantum market. Briefs VCs, lawmakers, and government officials on needed strategy and investments for quantum.
Vice President
Corporate Development
ColdQuanta, New York and Boulder, CO		 March 2022–October 2022
Experienced industry leader helping ColdQuanta scale to an international company driving quantum computing, sensing, and communications technology.

On September 29, 2022, Sutor spoke at the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on “Securing U.S. Leadership in Emerging Compute Technologies.”
IBM Quantum Investor and Influencer Relations Leader
IBM Quantum / IBM Research
IBM Corporation, Yorktown Heights, New York		 2021–2022
IBM Quantum relationship leader for venture capitalists and other investors, ensuring strong engagement and a strong voice in the investor community.

Leader of the industry analyst IBM Quantum technical relations team.

Leader of external advocacy of IBM Quantum’s progress and value by engaging with the media via the IBM Quantum Communications team and delivering keynote and high-profile addresses at leading global conferences in coordination with IBM Quantum Marketing.
Chief Quantum Exponent
IBM Quantum / IBM Research
IBM Corporation, Yorktown Heights, New York		 2021
Based on years of business and R&D executive experience, I was the primary “evangelist” for the IBM Quantum Computing program, translating the science and evolution of this highly technical area so it can be understood and used by business people, industry analysts and influencers, students, educators, government decision-makers, and the media.

I help clients and leaders understand the following:

  • “Why is quantum computing important and fundamentally different from classical IT?”
  • “How can you get started with quantum computing and incorporate it into your strategy?”
  • “What is the business value and use cases that will lead to your success with this technology?”

Author of the coding and quantum computing book Dancing with Python.
Vice President
IBM Quantum Ecosystem Development
IBM Research
IBM Corporation, Yorktown Heights, New York		 2018–2021
R&D executive responsible for driving the ecosystem and awareness for the IBM Quantum program. In this role, I worked across IBM to bring together essential functions to rapidly extend the footprint of IBM Quantum as the industry-leading quantum computing hardware/software platform.

While based at IBM Research headquarters in Yorktown Heights, New York, I traveled the world to meet with clients, speak at conferences and universities, and be the primary spokesman for IBM Quantum to the media and industry analysts.

Author of the quantum computing book Dancing with Qubits.
Vice President
AI, Blockchain, and Quantum Solutions
IBM Research
IBM Corporation, Yorktown Heights, New York		 2017–2018
R&D executive leading a large global group of scientists, software engineers, and designers who create and integrate leading-edge science and technologies to give IBM’s clients the most advanced solutions available. Our work was often mathematically based and thus included cognitive and AI technologies like machine learning, deep learning, text and image analytics, statistics, predictive analytics, and optimization. Co-led the IBM Research effort to support IBM’s commercial blockchain efforts with advanced innovations across a broad range of its embedded technologies. Led the group developing the next-generation software stack and algorithms for quantum computers.
Vice President
Solutions and Mathematical Sciences
IBM Research
IBM Corporation, Yorktown Heights, New York		 2012–2017
R&D executive who drove IBM’s worldwide research strategy and execution by starting with client requirements and then delivering cross-industry innovations through business solutions and services, software products, and direct engagements. Led a worldwide team of over 375 researchers and software engineers in the technology areas of analytics, data science, mathematical optimization, commerce, supply chain, mobile, social media, interactive customer experience, agriculture, education, energy, and environment.
Vice President
Mobile Enterprise and WebSphere Foundation
IBM Software Group
IBM Corporation, Somers, New York		 2011–2012
Executive responsible for the IBM software strategy and execution for enterprise-grade mobile applications and middleware infrastructure. Owned and drove the product management for the core WebSphere Application Server, application virtualization, and elastic caching products in the IBM middleware software portfolio. Responsible for the product management of the Worklight mobile application platform acquired by IBM in early 2012. Elected in 2011 to the IBM Academy of Technology.
Vice President
Open Systems and Linux
IBM Software Group
IBM Corporation, Somers, New York		 2009–2011
Executive responsible for driving the IBM strategy, sales enablement, and technical pre-sales for software running on Linux and other open-source environments. Worked with customers, partners, government leaders, analysts, and the press to understand the value of adopting business-critical open source and Linux. Managed internal processes for approval of standards group memberships, as well as applications of open source and standards licenses. Responsible for driving and executing the cross-company business and policy strategy for open standards related to software, hardware, services, vertical industries, and emerging markets. Led new software-based Linux growth initiatives with a global team of software engineers, architects, and sales and marketing professionals. Drove software interoperability initiatives with public sector partners around the world.
Vice President
Open Source and Standards
IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York		 2005–2009
Executive responsible for driving and executing the cross-company business and policy strategy for open standards and open source as they relate to software, hardware, services, vertical industries, and emerging markets. In particular, helped move IBM from its traditional technical and intellectual property approach to one where business exploitation of standards and open source for greater customer value is paramount, especially in vertical industries and emerging markets. Chairman of the IBM internal Corporate Standards Advisory Committee and the Open Source Steering Committee. Worked with partners, customers, government leaders, and government agencies around the world to understand and adopt modern, business-savvy, open strategies and policies. Led the IBM team in accelerating the adoption of the OASIS and ISO OpenDocument Format standard, as well as open standards in general. I had the role of senior IBM spokesperson and evangelist for standards and open source, and I was a widely quoted and read global expert on these areas, such as virtual worlds, web services, and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Named in 2006 as one of Computer Business Review’s “Open Source VIPs”.
Director
Market and Product Management, WebSphere Foundation Software
IBM Software Group, Somers, New York		 2003–2004
Executive responsible for the global software product and market management of the IBM WebSphere Application Servers, business integration products, legacy enablement tools, enterprise messaging (WebSphere MQ), and Eclipse-based WebSphere Studio development tools (until January 2003). During this time, IBM extended its application server and integration products market share lead over all competitors. Worked closely with customers, architecture, development, and sales to formulate product requirements; ensure portfolio integration; create product strategy, packaging, pricing, and messaging. Drove the cross-brand Web services and Service Oriented Architecture marketing and strategy. Drove the WebSphere open-source strategy and execution plan. Primary WebSphere executive responsible for interacting with the press and industry analysts on product plans, announcements, and IBM vision for IT middleware, service oriented architecture, web services, and relationship to On Demand business.
Director
Web Services Technology
IBM Software Group, Somers, New York		 2002–2003
Executive responsible for driving the nascent cross-IBM Web services initiative. Responsible for working across all IBM technology and marketing brand activities to continue and advance IBM’s leadership in providing Web services solutions, products, and services. Frequent keynote speaker on these topics at conferences worldwide and frequently quoted in the press on both business and technical Web services issues. Recognized as an industry leader and Web Services visionary: featured in 2002 in the CNET Vision series and a Q&A in the Boston Globe.
Director
e-business Standards Strategy/Web Services Strategy
IBM Software Group, Somers, New York		 1999–2002
Executive responsible for establishing and executing the global IBM-wide strategy for the development and promotion of key e-business industry standards, including XML and Web services. Lead IBM executive for the creation of the multi-company Web Services Interoperability Organization and the UDDI.org initiative. Led internal efforts around formulating IBM’s current intellectual property licensing policy for standards activities. Member of the OASIS Board of Directors and Vice-Chair of the OASIS – United Nations/CEFACT ebXML initiative (1999 – 2001). Drove technical partnerships in the industry, including those with Microsoft that created the core Web services specifications.
Manager and Research Staff Member
Interactive Scientific Publishing
IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, New York		 1997–1999
Managed the R&D team that conceived, developed, and distributed the IBM techexplorer software product for publishing scientific documents on the Web (one of the early Netscape plug-ins). This was written in C++ and ran under Windows and UNIX. Member of the W3C Document Object Model working group and co-author of the W3C Mathematical Markup Language, the first XML language standardized at the W3C. Co-author of the book The LaTeX Web Companion.
Research Staff Member
Symbolic Mathematical Computation
IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, New York		 1992–1997
Member of the research team that developed the Axiom system for symbolic computation. Designed and engineered parts of the user interface, system interpreter, and mathematical libraries. Worked on the team that developed the A# compiler, an early object-oriented language with multiple inheritance. Expert developer in several languages, including C++ and Lisp. Co-author of the book Axiom: The Scientific Computation System and various research papers.
Full-time Graduate Student and IBM Employee
Mathematics Department
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey		 1988–1991
Graduate student in the Mathematics Department at Princeton University in the doctoral program working in the area of algebraic geometry under the advisorship of Nicholas Katz. Participant in the IBM Resident Study program for post-graduate education.
Programmer
Symbolic Mathematical Computation
IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, New York		 1984–1988, 1991–1992
Member of the research team that developed the Scratchpad II system for symbolic computation. Designed and engineered parts of the user interface, system interpreter, and mathematical libraries. Primary development environment was Lisp and C under AIX on the IBM RS/6000.
Programmer
Internal Communications
IBM Corporate Headquarters, White Plains, New York		 1982–1984
Member of the team that developed algorithms and database applications to price-optimize the configuration of and vendor orders for the leased voice and data lines for internal IBM use. Primary development environment was PL/I with the IMS database on IBM mainframes.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Department of Mathematics
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ		 1980–1982
Graduate student assistant to professors teaching a broad range of undergraduate mathematics classes, including basic and advanced calculus, geometry, and linear algebra.

Education and Training

  • Strategic Leadership Forum, Harvard Business School (for IBM)
  • Leading Product Development, Harvard Business School Executive Education

Selected Press Interviews, Profiles, and Videos

Selected Keynotes, Speeches, and Panels

Brief Biography

Dr. Bob Sutor has been a technical leader and executive in the IT industry for over 40 years.

Bob’s industry role is to advance quantum technologies by building strong business, partner, technical, and educational ecosystems. The singular goal is to evolve quantum to help solve some of the critical computational problems facing society today. Bob is widely quoted in the press, delivers conference keynotes, and works with industry analysts and investors to accelerate understanding and adoption of quantum technologies.

Sutor is now Vice President and Chief Quantum Advocate at Infleqtion / ColdQuanta, a hardware and software company working on quantum computing and sensing. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo (New York, USA).

More than two decades of Bob’s career were spent in IBM Research in New York. During his time there, he worked on or led efforts in symbolic mathematical computation, optimization, AI, blockchain, and quantum computing. He was also an executive on the software side of the IBM business in areas including middleware, software on Linux, mobile, open source, and emerging industry standards.

Bob is a theoretical mathematician by training, has a Ph.D. from Princeton University, and an undergraduate degree from Harvard College.

He’s the author of a book about quantum computing called Dancing with Qubits which was published in 2019. He is also the author of the 2021 book Dancing with Python, an introduction to Python coding for classical and quantum computing.

Photos