Zapata Computing Welcomes New Advisor Lieutenant General (USMC, Ret.) Michael Groen

BOSTON (September 27, 2022) – Zapata Computing, the leading enterprise quantum software company, today announced that it has added Lieutenant General (USMC, Retired) Michael Groen as an advisor to the company. Groen brings more than three and a half decades of military and public sector experience to the table, serving in a leadership role for multiple security and intelligence divisions of the U.S. Government. As an advisor to Zapata, he will be responsible for helping the company with product and go-to-market strategy for its growing public sector offering.

“It’s clear that the DoD, intelligence community and public sector are increasing their focus on quantum computing, considering the potential useful applications of the new technology, as well as the threat that it presents,” said Christopher Savoie, CEO and co-founder of Zapata Computing. “We continue to see increasing interest in our software and our expertise from the federal government, and we’re looking forward to Lieutenant General Groen’s guidance and expertise to continue to capitalize on that momentum.”

Lieutenant General Groen has an incredibly distinguished background and track record across multiple agencies within the federal government. Most recently he served as the Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), and the senior executive for artificial intelligence (AI) in the Department of Defense (DOD). The Lieutenant General also served at the National Security Agency (NSA), overseeing computer network operations, and as the Director of Joint Staff Intelligence (JSJ2), working closely with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Secretary of Defense, and senior leaders across the department. Lieutenant General Groen is an experienced Marine commander and multi-tour combat veteran. He is also the author of With the 1st Marine Division in Iraq, No Greater Friend, No Worse Enemy and holds Master’s Degrees in electrical engineering and applied physics from the Naval Postgraduate School.

“Throughout my career in the public sector I have focused on driving transformational change in military capabilities. Quantum computing represents the next generation of technology that will be truly transformational,” added Lieutenant General Groen. “There’s no question that the pace of digitally enabled defense transformation is increasing. That’s exactly why it’s so important for the U.S. government to get quantum ready now, and it’s also the reason I’m so excited about working closely with the team at Zapata.”