CIQ Employee Spotlight: Cedric Clerget

In our second post in this blog post series, we’re shining the spotlight on Cedric Clerget, Distinguished Engineer, to learn about his role at CIQ and what makes his work stimulating and rewarding.

How did you become interested in engineering?

It’s simple; I like creating stuff that makes life easier for other people.

What drew you to CIQ?

I have been involved with CIQ since its inception, with the goal of modernizing HPC environments. Before CIQ, I worked on Singularity, which became Apptainer, a container runtime for HPC environments. Containers have changed the HPC landscape and were a first step towards the modernization of HPC environments, so when Fuzzball came out as a HPC container orchestration system, it was something I wanted to bring to life.

What do you think sets CIQ apart from other organizations?

The people composing it.

What's your role in the company, and what do you enjoy most about it?

I’m a software engineer, and the most enjoyable part is seeing projects take form and be useful for many people (e.g., open source projects).

What are some exciting challenges you’ve come across in your role?

The main challenge to overcome is the paradox that “Simplicity is complex.” Designing complex systems while making them easy to use and maintain is not a trivial task, but it is very stimulating.

What has been your favorite project to work on?

Fuzzball is probably my favorite, as it gave birth to other interesting projects gravitating around it.

What do you do to stay motivated and inspired in your work?

I’m working in a domain I’m passionate about, so it’s not hard to stay motivated and inspired. As much as possible, I go outside of my comfort zone and keep learning new things.

What are some exciting things you’re looking forward to at CIQ?

I especially look forward to the Rocky Linux evolution.

How do you think your work contributes to the overall success of the company?

I’m just a piece of the puzzle relying on the others, and together, we are contributing to the success of the company

What advice would you offer to anyone starting a career in engineering?

Don’t be afraid to share ideas, even if they are crazy; this is a good way to open discussions and view them from different angles.