Queequeg

Once upon a time, on the northern coast of Australia, there lived a young tiger quoll . His parents, being literature buffs, named him Queequeg after the Pacific Islander character in Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick . Queequeg was a very organized quoll and wanted to strike out into the world and make his mark, probably in software, since he was a computer wiz.

One day, while walking along the ocean, he met a young dolphin named Dax. Dax was wary of Queequeg, since dolphins, like quolls, are noted for being well-read, and he was aware Queequeg was the name of a harpooner. Luckily, Queequeg was able to convince Dax he was not the harpooning type and just wanted to make an impact in the software industry. As peculiar as a software developer quoll sounded to Dax, he happened to be preparing for a long ocean voyage and wanted a bit of company, so the two became traveling companions.

For many days and nights, the two traveled across the sea, Queequeg perched on Dax’s back wearing a life vest, of course, because he was raised to value managed risk. One evening as they cruised along, they spotted a gleaming shoreline in the distance. Queequeg instinctively knew this marked the next phase of his journey, so he requested Dax drop him off and the two bid each other a fond farewell.

The gleaming shoreline, rife with bright lights and brilliant architecture, turned out to be Atlantic City, New Jersey. This would never do for a young quoll as he had no interest in roulette or bespoke casino amenities. He was on a mission and his time at sea helped formalize his plans. Since he had so handily managed the risk of navigating the open ocean on a dolphin’s back, he now wanted to get into the software industry with a focus on risk management. So, he began hitchhiking across New Jersey, meeting colorful characters along the way. He even had a run-in with the Jersey Devil, though that is a story for a different day.

After miles on foot, in cars, and a few stops on SEPTA regional rail, Queequeg wound up in the Philadelphia suburbs at the corporate offices of AETI. Fate, or destiny, had brought him to the doorstep of a risk management insurance system (RMIS) solution provider! He quickly made his way inside and applied for a software developer job. Once the AETI team recovered from the shock of a quoll applicant, they sized him up and explained that their software development department was full. But they had a vacant position that the young quoll seemed well-qualified for: the role of Chief Mascot.

Queequeg thought long and hard. Could he be a mascot? The tiger quoll markings on his back seemed oddly similar to the logo of AETI’s software solution, Quadra. Plus, the alliterative greatness of the phrase Queequeg the Quadra Quoll could not be denied. These coincidences, combined with the mere fact that he wound up at AETI in the first place, were signs that could not be ignored. He graciously accepted the role of Chief Mascot and has been at AETI championing Quadra ever since!