Quantum Academy
The Qantaris Consulting founder was first author of JPMorgan Chase’s 2024 study of 100 Gbps VPN tunnels secured with quantum key distribution
CHICAGO, November 1, 2026 – Obada Alia, founder and CEO of Qantaris Consulting and a former vice president at JPMorgan Chase, has joined Quantum Academy as a Senior Instructor. Obada works on quantum key distribution (QKD), post-quantum cryptography (PQC), optical networking and the integration of emerging technologies into enterprise infrastructure.
Obada is part of Quantum Academy’s initial group of instructors. The Academy, which opened on October 2, 2026, trains and certifies professionals in PQC and quantum technologies.
At JPMorgan Chase, Obada was a vice president and technical lead in the Quantum Networking and Security team of the Global Technology Applied Research division. He led the design, validation and deployment of quantum-safe networking architectures for global financial infrastructure. He integrated QKD and PQC with optical transport, MACsec, IPsec and enterprise key management systems.
Obada was first author of a 2024 study in which the team ran site-to-site IPsec VPN tunnels with a combined throughput of about 100 Gbps between two JPMorgan Chase data centers in Singapore. The team used keys from a QKD system to secure the tunnels. They operated the link over 46 km of deployed telecom fiber in an air-gapped environment for 45 days without interruption.
“Obada is the person I’d want in the room for any QKD decision,” said Marin Ivezic, founder of Quantum Academy. “If you’re deciding where QKD fits alongside post-quantum cryptography, he has seen it work between a bank’s data centers.”
Obada holds a PhD in optical and quantum communications from the University of Bristol, where he later worked as a senior research associate. His research there, including work on the UK’s Quantum Communications Hub, dealt with quantum-classical network integration, entanglement distribution and running QKD in the same fiber as high-capacity classical traffic.
Through Qantaris, an emerging-technology consultancy, Obada advises governments, financial institutions, technology companies and critical infrastructure organizations on quantum-safe strategy, cryptographic migration and secure network architecture.
Professionals can book live online sessions on the Quantum Academy schedule, and teams can request private training at training@quantumacademy.com.
About Quantum Academy
Quantum Academy trains and certifies professionals in post-quantum cryptography and quantum technologies. It opened on October 2, 2026, with 68 courses in six domains and 11 certifications in four tracks. Quantum Academy is an education and certification brand of Post-Quantum Institute, a Delaware corporation. quantumacademy.com/
Quantum Academy certifications are private, professional credentials issued by Post-Quantum Institute. They are not government-issued licenses, accredited academic degrees, or academic credit, and earning one does not guarantee employment, promotion, or any regulatory outcome. Quantum Academy programs are educational and informational only, and are not legal, compliance, or engineering advice.
Media contact
Quantum Academy · press@quantumacademy.com · +1 (312) 803-4969 · 155 N Wacker Dr, Suite 4250, Chicago, IL 60606
###