At Qorsa, our leadership blends deep technical expertise with decades of strategic experience across AI, quantum cryptography, cybersecurity, and global innovation.
From shaping national infrastructure to advancing cutting-edge research, our team brings together thought leaders, founders, and builders committed to securing the future.
We don’t just lead in technology — we lead with purpose, driving quantum-secure, AI-powered solutions that solve real-world challenges for governments, enterprises, and institutions worldwide.
“We’re not just building technology — we’re building trust in a quantum future.”
Terry Popowich
Chief Executive Officer
Meet the QOR-Team
Dr. Donald Cowan
Chairman
Dr. Donald Cowan is one of Canada’s most influential figures in computer science and technology innovation. A Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo, Dr. Cowan was the founding Chair of its world-renowned David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science and leads the Computer Systems Group.
Over his career, Dr. Cowan has supervised more than 130 graduate students and postdocs, and authored over 350 publications, 17 books, and 9 book chapters. He co-founded two successful Waterloo tech spin-offs — WATCOM (acquired by SAP) and LivePage (acquired by Oracle). His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the J.W. Graham Medal, the CS-Can/Info-Can Lifetime Achievement Award, an honorary DSc from University of Guelph, ACM Distinguished Scientist, Brazil’s Grand Cross of Scientific Merit, and the City of Waterloo Award, among others.
Dr. Cowan continues to shape the future of software through innovation, mentorship, and visionary leadership. As Chairman of the Board, he provides strategic oversight and thought leadership as Qorsa advances quantum-secure, AI-powered technology solutions.
Terrance Popowich
Chief Executive Officer
Terry Popowich is the Chief Executive Officer of Qorsa Corp, headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. With over 35 years of high-impact leadership, he brings deep expertise in advanced technology, capital markets, and strategic growth — driving Qorsa’s mission to deliver cutting-edge AI solutions and quantum-resilient cybersecurity. Terry has led both emerging growth companies and major ventures, including co-founding Teranet Inc. — a global leader in real estate data systems acquired by OMERS — and Workflow Automation Corporation, which was sold to BEA Systems.
Terry held senior advisory roles in the Canadian federal government, serving as Executive Assistant to the Parliamentary Secretary of Energy, Mines and Resources and Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL), and to the Chairmen of the Special Senate-House of Commons Committee on Senate Reform. He also served as Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff to the Minister of Financial Institutions and the Minister of National Revenue.
Terry combines private and public sector insight with a strong focus on innovation, operational excellence, and long-term value creation. Under his leadership, Qorsa is positioned to be a trusted partner to forward-thinking enterprises, agencies, and institutions seeking secure and scalable, business-driven technology solutions.
Dr. Bruce W. Watson
Chief exploration officer & President qorsa labs
Bruce Watson leads frontier research in post-quantum cryptography, AI, and cybersecurity. A dual PhD and globally recognized expert, Bruce has held leadership roles across government, industry, and academia — including with NATO, ASML, Microsoft, Cisco, Canada’s National Security sector, and high-impact startups. He is one of only a few Global Commissioners for Responsible AI in the Military Domain and serves as a Subject Matter Expert to the UN’s AI Advisory Body as well as Canada’s National Security Centre of Excellence (NSCOE).
Bruce holds two PhDs — in Computing Science & Engineering (Eindhoven University) and Computer Science (University of Pretoria) — and a Combinatorics & Optimization/CS degree from the University of Waterloo. He has held full professorships across Europe, Canada, and Africa, founded AI for Computational Thinking at South Africa’s Centre for AI Research, and supervised dozens of graduate students and postdocs.
With deep roots in algorithmics, silicon design, AI and correctness-by-construction, Bruce advances Qorsa’s mission to build secure, intelligent systems with global impact.
Jacob Sakhnini
Chief TEchnology Officer
Jacob Sakhnini leads the development of advanced AI and cybersecurity solutions at Qorsa. With a Master’s degree in Engineering Systems and Computing, and a specialization in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Guelph, Jacob blends academic rigor with real-world innovation.
He is a published thought leader in machine learning and cybersecurity, with widely cited research in critical infrastructure protection and AI-powered threat detection. His work has earned recognition in top-tier engineering journals and contributed to multiple books in the cybersecurity field.
Beyond academia, Jacob has architected advanced machine learning pipelines and NLP systems at the CivicAtlas group, delivering scalable, intelligent solutions for complex data environments. With a unique blend of research excellence and practical engineering skill, Jacob drives the technology strategy as Qorsa’s CTO, ensuring its solutions remain on the cutting edge of secure, intelligent system development.
Liam Watson
Chief Quantum Officer
Liam Watson drives Qorsa’s vision at the frontier of post-quantum security, leading the development of cryptographically agile systems built to withstand next-generation cyber threats. Liam’s trajectory began at the University of Waterloo’s renowned Computer Systems Group, where he engineered distributed architectures fortified with NIST-approved post-quantum cryptography.
His deep expertise bridges AI, formal methods, and cybersecurity innovation—from machine learning–driven threat modeling to LLM-powered compliance systems recognized by NATO and IIAKM. As former CTO of Quantum Secure Solutions, Liam designed national-scale quantum-resistant frameworks and continues to shape critical infrastructure through his work with Canada’s National Security Centre of Excellence (NSCOE). He has advised global organizations including the UN and authored peer-reviewed research spanning quantum cryptography, AI ethics, and secure systems.
A published researcher and an Honours Bachelor of Computer Science candidate specializing in AI, Liam brings technical depth and global insight to Qorsa’s mission: delivering future-proof, intelligence-driven solutions for enterprise, government, and global partners.
Peter Hall
Chief operating officer
Peter Hall is a seasoned technologist with decades of innovation in software systems, enterprise architecture, and global project delivery. He began his career at British Rail, pioneering early microcomputer-based train control systems, and later led the development of PROMPT — a project management framework adopted as the UK government standard for IT system development.
As founder of Workflow Automation Corporation, Peter launched jFlow, the world’s first Java-based workflow engine, licensed by enterprise leaders such as Computer Associates. The company was acquired by BEA Systems in 2000, where Peter led product strategy for the WebLogic platform — now a core component of Oracle’s enterprise technology stack.
Peter has directed large-scale systems integration projects across Europe, North America, Africa, and Australia. As the COO at Qorsa, he brings unmatched technical vision and operational leadership, ensuring the company’s solutions deliver on the promise of intelligent, secure, and scalable enterprise transformation.
Nanette Saes
Vice president of Communications
Nanette Saes is a seasoned international communications strategist, facilitator, and sworn translator with over two decades of experience at the intersection of language, technology, and global business.
With deep expertise in marketing resource management, localization, and collaborative knowledge systems, she has led high-impact initiatives for world-class clients including Boston Consulting Group, Mitsubishi Motors, and Nestlé. Nanette has delivered multilingual brand, marketing, and translation services to global enterprises and expatriate clients. Her academic work as a research fellow and lecturer at Stellenbosch University has focused on AI-driven knowledge dynamics and cybersecurity in decision-making — earning international recognition.
Fluent in multiple languages and highly attuned to the demands of cross-cultural communication, Nanette has also led the organization of prominent global conferences in cybersecurity and information science. At Qorsa, she champions a communications strategy defined by clarity, trust, and technological leadership — amplifying the company’s voice at the frontier of quantum-secure, AI-powered innovation.
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