Quantum Security 25 honours leaders in post-quantum era
DigiCert and Techstrong Group have named the 25 winners of the inaugural Quantum Security 25 awards, which highlight individuals helping organisations plan for the impact of quantum computing on cryptography.
The programme recognises leadership across research, standards development, product work, public policy, and enterprise strategy. It reflects growing focus on post-quantum cryptography and the need to protect sensitive data over the long term as quantum computing advances.
Nominees came from multiple regions and sectors. An independent panel selected the final 25 based on impact, technical leadership, and sustained contributions to quantum security readiness.
Judging Panel
The panel included Alan Shimel, Founder and CEO of Techstrong Group; Dr. Amit Sinha, CEO of DigiCert; Dr. Lily Chen, NIST Fellow; Prof. Martin R. Albrecht, Professor of Cryptography at King's College London; and Debbie Taylor Moore, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The Quantum Crunch.
The honourees span academia, government standards bodies, financial services, telecoms, cloud providers, and cybersecurity vendors. They include contributors to post-quantum cryptography standardisation as well as leaders running quantum risk programmes inside large organisations.
Honourees Named
The 25 individuals recognised are: Dr. Ali El Kaafarani, Founder & CEO, PQShield; Prof. Bill Buchanan, Professor of Applied Cryptography, Edinburgh Napier University; Bob Sutor, Founder, Sutor Group Intelligence; Bruno Couillard, CEO, Crypto4A; Dr. Colin Soutar, Global Quantum Cyber Readiness Leader, Deloitte; Denis Mandich, CTO & Co-Founder, Qrypt; Dustin Moody, Mathematician & PQC Project Lead, NIST; Éric Brier, VP and CTO, Network & Infrastructure Solutions, Thales Group; Jaime Garcia, Global Head of Quantum Threat Program, Santander; James Howe, Head of Cryptography, SandboxAQ; Konstantinos Karagiannis, Senior Director, Quantum Computing Services, Protiviti; Dr. Krysta Svore, VP, Applied Research - Quantum Computing, NVIDIA; Luke Ibbetson, Head of Research & Development, Vodafone; Matthew Campagna, Senior Principal Engineer, Security Engineering, AWS; Michael Osborne, CTO, IBM Quantum Safe & Security Research, IBM; Michele Mosca, Co-Founder, Institute for Quantum Computing; Niccolò De Masi, Chairman & CEO, IonQ; Philip Intallura, Group Head of Quantum Technologies, HSBC; Rebecca Krauthamer, CEO & Co-Founder, QuSecure; Rob Otter, Head of Global Technology Applied Research, JPMorgan Chase; Sheetal Mehta, Global Head of Cybersecurity, NTT Data; Tanja Lange, Professor of Cryptography, Eindhoven University of Technology / PQCRYPTO; Tom Patterson, Managing Director, Emerging Technology Security, Accenture; Dr. Tsuyoshi Takagi, Professor, Nomura Research Institute; and Vadim Lyubashevsky, Cryptographer and Co-Creator of ML-DSA, IBM Research - Zurich.
The inclusion of security leaders from banks and telecoms reflects a broader shift as quantum risk moves from research groups into mainstream security governance. Cryptography underpins core controls for digital identity, secure communications, payment systems, and software distribution.
Post-quantum cryptography aims to replace widely used public-key algorithms that could become vulnerable if large-scale quantum computers become practical. Industry groups and major technology suppliers are developing migration strategies, inventory efforts, and cryptographic agility programmes. These initiatives often require coordination across software, hardware, identity systems, and third-party suppliers.
The Quantum Security 25 is positioned as a marker of the shift from awareness to implementation planning. It also highlights the role of standards and research communities in shaping the algorithms and practices that are later embedded in products and procurement requirements.
Techstrong Group runs IT-focused communities and media brands across DevOps, cybersecurity, AI, cloud, and digital transformation. DigiCert provides digital trust services and certificate management products used for public key infrastructure and related security controls.
Alan Shimel, Founder and CEO of Techstrong Group, said: "Preparing for the quantum era requires foresight and disciplined execution. The Quantum Security 25 recognises individuals who are helping the industry move from awareness to action. Their leadership is shaping how organisations think about resilience, trust, and long-term security in a post-quantum world."
The Quantum Security 25 programme will continue, with future lists expected to track progress in post-quantum adoption and the development of quantum security practices across industries.