Juan Cruz-Benito

Juan Cruz-Benito received a Ph.D. in Computing Engineering from the University of Salamanca, Spain, in 2018. Previously, he received an M.Sc. degree in Intelligent Systems, a B.Sc. in Computer Systems, and a Technical Engineering Degree in Computer Systems from the same university in 2013, 2012, and 2011. He is currently AI for Quantum Product Owner and Engineering Manager at IBM Quantum, where he holds IBM Master Inventor status. Before his current roles, he worked as Chapter Lead and Senior Software Engineer at IBM Quantum and IBM Research from 2018 to 2024 and as a researcher and developer from 2013 to 2018 at the GRIAL Research Group, University of Salamanca, Spain. As a researcher, he has participated in numerous international R&D projects. As a software engineer, he has been involved in projects used by millions of users and contributed significantly to Open Source initiatives and communities. His research interests span the convergence of Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Human-Computer Interaction, and technologies for educational purposes. He has co-authored more than 80 publications and serves as a reviewer and board member for many highly-respected journals and conferences. His research activity led him to receive the 2019 Research Award “Scientific Computer Society of Spain and BBVA Foundation” as one of the six best young researchers in Computer Science in Spain.