IonQ Names Niccolo de Masi as New CEO, Shares Fall

IonQ has appointed Niccolo de Masi as president and CEO, effective immediately. He joins from dMY Squared, where he was director and CEO. Peter Chapman will continue as executive chair. The new appointment comes as IonQ offers a mixed shelf offering, with shares down.

In a significant move, quantum computing pioneer IonQ has announced the appointment of Niccolo de Masi as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately [1]. De Masi, a seasoned public company CEO, joins IonQ from dMY Squared, where he served as Director and CEO.

De Masi brings a wealth of experience to IonQ, having held C-level positions at publicly traded companies such as Monstermob Group, Resideo Technologies, Glu Mobile, and most recently at dMY Squared Technology Group. He also served as the CEO of dMY Technology Group III, which took IonQ public via a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) merger in 2021.

De Masi's appointment comes as IonQ offers a mixed shelf offering, with shares down [1]. However, this news is not expected to deter the company, which is poised for growth in the quantum era.

"Over the past five years, Niccolo has had a significant impact helping IonQ realize our vision of creating the world's first pure-play public quantum computing company," said Peter Chapman, IonQ's Executive Chair. "Because of his insightful contributions to our strategic direction and growth initiatives as a director of the company, we are thrilled to welcome Niccolo to the role of CEO as we look to accelerate our growth in the quantum era."

De Masi expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity to lead IonQ during this pivotal moment for quantum computing. "As a longtime evangelist of the quantum industry, I believe wholeheartedly in IonQ's mission and technology," he said. "I am honored to work with our industry-leading team to build upon the company's momentum in 2025 and beyond."

Throughout his career, de Masi has been instrumental in driving successful growth at companies such as Planet PBC, Rush Street Interactive, Genius Sports Group, and Xura. In total, he has raised over $3 billion in equity to support public and private companies that he has led. In addition to serving on IonQ's board, de Masi currently serves on the board of Rush Street Interactive and Planet PBC.

References:
[1] IonQ, Inc. (2023, February 26). IonQ Names Niccolo de Masi as President and Chief Executive Officer. BusinessWire. Retrieved from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230226005182/en/