IonQ Inc. (NYSE: IONQ), a leading provider of quantum computing and networking solutions, has named Dr. Marco Pistoia as its Senior Vice President of Industry Relations, signaling a strategic move to strengthen industry engagement and accelerate real-world adoption of quantum technologies.
Pistoia joins IonQ from JPMorganChase, where he led the bank’s applied research and quantum computing initiatives as Global Head and Distinguished Engineer. The newly created role will see him focus on deepening IonQ’s relationships across government, enterprise, and academia as the company scales its commercial and technical roadmap.
“Marco is one of the foremost figures in applied quantum computing,” said IonQ CEO Niccolo de Masi. “His leadership experience and deep expertise will be instrumental as we expand the relevance and reach of our quantum platform.”
During his tenure at JPMorgan, Pistoia’s team achieved several technical milestones, including the first experimental certification of quantum-generated randomness and a record-setting demonstration of quantum key distribution (QKD) over 100 kilometers at 800 Gbps — later deployed in blockchain-secured payment systems.
Prior to JPMorgan, Pistoia spent more than two decades at IBM Research, contributing significantly to quantum algorithm development and authoring over 200 publications. He holds 647 patents, with more than 100 in quantum technologies.
Pistoia said IonQ’s approach to scalable, application-driven quantum systems made the opportunity compelling. “IonQ is uniquely positioned at the intersection of hardware innovation and real-world quantum utility,” he said in a statement.
The appointment comes amid rising enterprise interest in quantum computing applications in finance, cybersecurity, and logistics. IonQ, which became the first pure-play quantum company to go public in 2021, continues to expand its industry partnerships and product offerings across quantum computing and networking.
