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Farrah Khan, the former mayor of Irvine, has taken a senior vice president position with Quantum eMotion Corp., a Canadian-based company that recently opened its American subsidiary here to break into the highly competitive cybersecurity sector.
The company’s technology is designed to protect customers against classic computer intrusions and the extra-powerful quantum computer cyberattacks of the future. Quantum eMotion (TSX.V: QNC) aims to attract clients in fields including financial services, healthcare and government sectors.
Khan is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with a bachelor’s in English literature. She served as Irvine’s mayor from December 2020 until January 2025, and before that she was a city council member. She was succeeded as mayor by Larry Agran, a long-time politician in the city.
During her tenure, Khan attracted investments in emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum communications, biotechnology and cybersecurity.
Preparing for Quantum Era
“I look forward to helping organizations across the U.S. prepare for the quantum era by adopting next-generation cybersecurity solutions,” Khan said in an April 16 statement announcing her appointment.
That includes defense against the ominous-sounding Q-Day, “the moment when quantum computers will be capable of breaking today’s encryption methods,” she said in a separate post on LinkedIn.
She will have her work cut out for her. Investor website Seeking Alpha said in January that Quantum eMotion’s “potential is overshadowed by perceived risks,” adding that the company had “no commercialized products and significant financial challenges, including cash burn and low working capital.”
The company is clearly looking forward. “Our technology is ready for commercialization, and we’re entering the market at a time when cybercriminal activity—and awareness of the quantum threat—is rapidly escalating,” Francis Bellido, president and CEO of Quantum eMotion said on April 8.
The company had a market cap of 104 million Canadian dollars ($75 million U.S.) as of April 25.
U.S. Subsidiary Announced Last Month
Quantum computing is said to have massive potential that could revolutionize the whole sector. It will be able “to solve problems beyond the ability of even the most powerful classical computers,” according to IBM.
Khan’s appointment comes shortly after the company’s U.S. expansion and the appointment of cybersecurity veteran John Young as chief operating officer of Quantum eMotion America, both announced in early April.
Young brings over 35 years of experience in cybersecurity and IT operations, having held senior roles at Fortune 50 companies, including IBM and McDonnell Douglas, which later merged with Boeing.
The company noted that Irvine, in particular, offers proximity to key defense, enterprise, and academic hubs, positioning QeMA for strong and sustainable growth. n