Insider Brief:
- Riverlane appoints Liz Durst as VP of QEC Community to lead efforts in quantum error correction (QEC) and build a global developer community.
- Durst previously led the development of IBM’s Qiskit, which now serves over 600,000 users and is used in more than 700 universities to teach quantum computing.
- She will develop a software development kit for QEC and create learning resources to prepare the quantum community for working with logical qubits and error-corrected systems.
PRESS RELEASE — Riverlane, a global leader in quantum error correction (QEC), has announced the appointment of Liz Durst as Vice President of QEC Community. Liz is a highly regarded leader in the quantum computing industry with extensive experience developing open-source tools and fostering global technology communities. Her expertise will be instrumental in advancing QEC and accelerating Riverlane’s mission to make quantum computing useful, sooner.
Liz is best known for her role in building IBM Quantum’s Qiskit, which has grown to dominate over 80% of the quantum computing developer tools market. Today, this open-source software development kit (SDK) attracts more than 600,000 users worldwide and continues to democratise access to quantum computing, enabling researchers and developers to explore and contribute to the field. Through Liz’s efforts to build the quantum workforce, Qiskit is now used by over 700 universities worldwide to teach the fundamentals of quantum computing.
Quantum computing is entering a new phase—the ‘QEC era’—marked by significant advancements in quantum error correction. As this technology matures, it presents fresh technical challenges and a growing need to empower the next generation of learners and innovators.
“The NISQ era marked the beginning of meaningful engagement with quantum computing, and Liz was at the forefront of that movement,” said Steve Brierley, CEO and Founder of Riverlane. “Now, at the dawn of a new era for quantum computing, we see parallels and enormous opportunities to create a similar impact in quantum error correction. With Liz at the helm of our community efforts, Riverlane is well-positioned to lead this exciting new chapter.”
As VP of QEC Community, Liz will focus on building a software development kit for quantum error correction along with learning resources to prepare the global quantum community for working with logical qubits and error corrected systems.
“I’m thrilled to join Riverlane, a company that’s not only leading in quantum error correction but also deeply committed to building the strong, collaborative community needed to realize its full potential,” said Liz Durst. “I’m passionate about empowering people worldwide to use and advance quantum computing. Beyond providing tools, I’m motivated by the opportunity to enable education and inclusivity, building a welcoming future workforce ready to make meaningful contributions. Having seen firsthand how thriving open-source ecosystems can drive progress, I look forward to working with Riverlane to accelerate the path to useful fault tolerant quantum computers.”
Liz joins Riverlane’s world-class team of quantum researchers, hardware engineers and chip designers, many of whom have spearheaded large-scale projects at companies like Amazon, ARM, and Microsoft. Together, this team represents the largest dedicated quantum error correction group globally, with close to a hundred experts working on Riverlane’s core product, Deltaflow™.
