Insider Brief
- Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) announced the appointment of Simon Segars, the former-CEO of Arm Holdings, as its new Chair and the appointment of Fiona Pak-Poy, who was announced today as a director.
- Segars was Arm Holding’s 16th employee, where he was instrumental in developing the processors that powered the world’s first digital mobile phones.
- Pak-Poy is an experienced Chair and non-executive director, working across an array of industries.
PRESS RELEASE — Australian quantum computing start-up Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC), is delighted to announce the appointment of Simon Segars, the former-CEO of Arm Holdings, as its new Chair (effective 28 January 2024). SQC also welcomes the appointment of Fiona Pak-Poy, who was announced today as the Australian Government’s Shareholder Nominee Board Director by the Honourable Ed Husic MP, Minister for Industry and Science.
Simon brings a breadth of experience to the role of SQC Chair. He started his journey with Arm in 1991 as its 16th employee, where he was instrumental in developing the processors that powered the world’s first digital mobile phones. As the CEO of Arm Holdings from 2013 to 2022, Simon spearheaded the company’s growth, leading it to become the UK’s largest semiconductor IP company. Under his guidance, Arm was acquired by SoftBank Group for £24.3 billion in 2016.
His leadership experience in hardware development is complemented by his current roles as a non-executive director at Dolby Laboratories Inc., Edge Impulse Inc., and Vodafone Group plc. Simon also serves as an executive advisor at Black Opal Ventures and a senior adviser at Permira. His former roles include positions on the Boards of SoftBank Group Corp. and Arm Holdings.
Fiona Pak-Poy is an experienced Chair and non-executive director, having worked across an array of industries including software, healthcare, e-commerce, and financial services with VC backed tech start-ups and listed companies. She is currently the Chair of Tyro Payments (ASX:TYR) and a non-executive Director of WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC). Fiona is also a non-executive Director of Kain Lawyers, an Investment Committee member of HMC Capital Partners Fund 1 and a member of the Anacacia Capital Business Advisory Council. Her previous board roles include positions at MYOB, Isentia, Audinate, Novotech, PageUp People and the Securities Industry Research Centre of Asia-Pacific (SIRCA).
SQC’s Founder and CEO Michelle Simmons said, “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome both Simon Segars and Fiona Pak-Poy to our board. Simon’s unparalleled experience in the semiconductor industry will be instrumental as SQC expands. I am also looking forward to learning from Fiona’s deep knowledge of helping companies grow. I am very excited about the transformative strides we will make together and would like to take this opportunity to thank our inaugural Chair, Stephen Menzies, for his pivotal role in the success of the company to date. Stephen has been involved since the conception of SQC and for the last 7 years has been a very effective executive Chair, overseeing the negotiation and execution of key elements of our growth to date. We will miss his intellect and insights, he is a staunch supporter of the company, and we wish him all the best.”
Simon Segars added “I am excited to join SQC at this moment in its history. Quantum computing holds the potential to unlock unparalleled processing capabilities enabling solutions to problems that will never be addressed through classical means. I look forward to working with Michelle, her team, and the Board to build a world-leading company around their world-leading technology.”
The appointment of Simon Segars and Fiona Pak-Poy to the board marks a significant shift for SQC as it pushes towards its first commercial processors.
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