Quantum computing company QuEra has announced Andy Ory as its interim CEO.

The neutral-atom quantum computing company this week announced its current CEO, Alex Keesling, will transition from his current position to “take on a new role” leading QuEra's efforts to achieve higher-volume production as CTO.

The board of directors appointed board member Andy Ory as the acting CEO while the company searches for a permanent replacement.

Ory co-founded and led several companies, including Acme Packet, acquired by Oracle, and 128 Technology, which was acquired by Juniper Networks.

"We are grateful for Alex's outstanding leadership and continued commitment to QuEra's success," said Ory.

"His vision and dedication have been pivotal in establishing QuEra as a leader in the quantum computing industry. As we transition, I am honored to step in as acting CEO and support QuEra's mission to advance quantum technology. I look forward to working closely with the team to maintain our momentum and drive forward our strategic initiatives."

QuEra was founded in 2018, based on research conducted at Harvard and MIT. Keesling had led QuEra since 2021; he was previously a PhD student at Harvard.

The company said Keesling will leverage his expertise to drive the company's production capabilities and achieve 100 logical error-corrected qubits, a key roadmap milestone.

"It has been a privilege to lead QuEra and work with such an innovative and dedicated team," said Keesling.

"I am excited to take on this new role and focus on scaling our production and advancing our technology to meet the growing demand for our quantum computing solutions. I am confident that under Andy's intermediate leadership, QuEra will continue to thrive and reach new milestones."

Ory founded Acme Packet in 2000 and served as president and CEO until its acquisition in March of 2013 by Oracle. He founded network routing firm 128 Technology in 2014; the company was acquired by Juniper in 2020.