Perhaps, I am way off and thinking too deeply, but here is some speculation on how I believe Quantum relates to SPECTRE and how Mr. White ties into both:
To be clear, I don't see Quantum as a stand-alone organization. References made to a group within Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale allude to an organization, never naming Quantum to be the name of the organization specifically. Ex. "WE have people everywhere." "WE'RE on the other side..." Not, "Quantum has people everywhere..." etc. I believe Quantum was a operation being carried out. One can assume the actual organization behind the Quantum agenda was never revealed (as it will now be revealed that it was SPECTRE overseeing the project all along).
- As a side note, I believe "The Tiara Project" was just the first phase of several projects within the Quantum agenda. With more projects lined up after the completion of the first phase, only then would the entire Quantum agenda be satisfied and considered a success.
With that all that explained, as I said, I now see Quantum as a financial operation being executed by SPECTRE, with White as the hands-on SPECTRE agent assigned to oversee the project and make sure all goes according to plan. This would then make White the highest ranking member of SPECTRE we've seen to date (without even knowing it). After the Quantum agenda fails before the first phase could be completed, Mr. White covered the failure up by killing Le Chiffre, retrieving the briefcase of funds back and having Greene killed in the desert before the rest of SPECTRE could catch on at the end of Quantum of Solace. He continues to update SPECTRE with bogus information, putting along with the assignment claiming that it is taking far longer than originally projected. I assume SPECTRE found out about the failure during the events of Skyfall and White will therefore resurface and be punished in the upcoming film.
SPECULATION ON HOW EVENTS WILL PLAY OUT: Before he is killed by SPECTRE though, White promises Bond's death. He goes out and has a 00/MI6 Agent killed (Andrew Scott's character) and tries to pass it off for Bond (as White is the only SPECTRE man to have had face-to-face encounters with him). Satisfied with Bond dead and the Quantum chapter closed, SPECTRE continues on with a larger plot only Bond becomes a problem again. A meeting between SPECTRE members is called and Blofeld begins to put pressure on the agent who is responsible for their current phase. Everybody believes this agent is about to be electrocuted in his chair until White's starts to electrocute him. Blofeld explains that it is not this agents fault, but is White's for lying about Bond's existence and the overall failure of the Quantum agenda. Settled, SPECTRE continues on to get even with Bond for interfering in their affairs and costing them grief, time and money... ENTER the death of Bond's loved one at the end of the film and the arc finish in the next.
Edited by Trevelyan 006, 06 December 2014 - 08:35 AM.