Laura Thomas

Laura Thomas is the Chief of Staff at global quantum technology and manufacturing company, Infleqtion. She is a key advisor to the CEO and is responsible for the alignment and execution of the company’s strategic priorities. Laura is a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) case officer and Chief of Base who built and led sensitive programs at CIA Headquarters and abroad in multiple international assignments, to include high-risk and high-ambiguity environments. She has served over 18 years in national security and leadership roles, working extensively across industry, the U.S. intelligence community, National Security Council, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Congress, and with foreign partners. After leaving U.S. Government service in spring 2021, Laura began addressing university, industry, and other government audiences on leadership, national security, and emerging technology issues. This includes lectures at MIT, Harvard, Purdue, George Washington University, and various think tanks and U.S. Government seminars. Laura is a Visiting Fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University, an alumna of the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Tech Policy Hub, an advisor to the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, and an advocate for LGBTQ+ issues in both government and industry. She currently writes at https://www.lauraethomas.com.