In 2025, mnemonic celebrates its 25th anniversary. We sat down with CEO Tønnes Ingebrigtsen to reflect on the company’s journey, the evolution of cybersecurity, and what has helped mnemonic grow and adapt in an ever-changing industry.

From corporate consultant to founder: why mnemonic began

It’s the late 1990s. Norway beat Brazil 2-1 in the World Cup, we’re on Windows 98, and the Melissa virus is rapidly spreading around the world. Tønnes Ingebrigtsen is working as a consultant for a large IT company, where he establishes a new security department. This team sets up firewall solutions and connects a significant portion of Norway to the internet. It was hard work, but all is well. For now.

It’s also the late 1990s when the dot-com boom was at an all-time high. The company he worked for was acquired three times in a short period of time. “Everyone was out to make money – fast. The atmosphere became too ruthless and money-driven. It got in the way of delivering quality services to customers,” Ingebrigtsen recalls. “Eventually, it became too uncomfortable.”

So, in 2000, Ingebrigtsen left the company with two colleagues to start something new: a cybersecurity company with a different approach. mnemonic was born.

Filling a gap and getting off to a flying start

“There wasn’t a clear cybersecurity leader in Norway at the time,” says Ingebrigtsen. But the founding team had worked with many of Norway’s largest companies and had hands-on experience with leading security product providers, including Check Point, Trend Micro and RSA. They had installed firewalls, delivered consultancy services, and even carried out penetration testing. “We had a network, we had experience, and we knew there was demand. So, we just started delivering – and we still do,” he says.

mnemonic attracted former colleagues and got a good customer base. The company was profitable from day one - a rare achievement for a new tech firm – and has remained profitable ever since.

Building a place where people want to stay

“The idea behind mnemonic was simple,” says Ingebrigtsen. “Back then, the IT industry was run by sales managers, and that always felt backwards to me. The whole industry was driven by sales targets, and after going through several acquisitions, I was fed up with how companies were being run.”

He and his co-founders wanted to do things differently – focusing on working closely with customers, delivering high-quality services, and creating a better environment for employees. “We wanted to put our customers first; collaborate and evolve with them, in a way that actually made a difference for them in the long run. At the same time, we wanted to build a place where people were treated well and wanted to stay.”

From the start, the company took a more technical, delivery-focused approach. All managers remained hands-on, actively working with customers and staying current with emerging technologies and security challenges.

Security then and now: what’s changed – and what hasn’t

The cybersecurity landscape has evolved dramatically over the past 25 years. “Back then, the industry was more focused on selling products. Today, it's far more service-oriented,” says Ingebrigtsen. “But many fundamentals haven’t changed. The internet is still running on IPv4. Many systems are still Linux-based. And an organisation’s security is as much about the people as it is technology. Just as it was back then.”

What has changed is the scale, complexity and interdependence of systems. “The dependencies are much bigger now. Everything’s connected. That’s created entirely new categories of risk, and new problems for us to solve.”

Lessons in hiring: finding the right people

As mnemonic grew, the team encountered a significant challenge: hiring. “Business was good, and we were growing fast. But we quickly realised that finding enough people wasn’t the problem - finding the right people was,” Ingebrigtsen explains. The wrong hires, especially in cybersecurity, can have serious consequences. “We got lucky with a lot of people, but unlucky with others. That made it clear we needed a better, more professional hiring process.”

Ingebrigtsen personally took on the task. He studied recruitment models, read books, and worked to design a more structured and objective system. “We restructured everything. We became much more precise about understanding what applicants could do, what we expected of them, and what their future at mnemonic could look like.”

mnemonic looks for people with strong technical ability, high potential, and sound judgement when working with customers. “We want individuals who can learn, take responsibility, and show empathy,” says Ingebrigtsen. “Our people need to perform well for customers, be honest and real, manage expectations, and keep their promises. If you’re not trustworthy, we don’t want you, no matter how technically brilliant you are.”

Today, mnemonic’s hiring process is among the strictest in the industry. And it pays off. “The company is a great place to work, and a safe place to work. We have a turnover rate of under 4%, which is exceptional, especially in the cybersecurity field. That’s good for our people and our customers. It means customer knowledge stays in-house, which ensures continuity, stability and long-term value.”

How to stay successful in the future: more of  the right people and customers

“We've implemented a number of things that work for us”, Ingebrigtsen continues. “mnemonic is majority employee-owned, which ensures that its direction and decisions are shaped by the people working there.”

There’s also a distinctive approach to compensation: the company uses a single, shared bonus pool distributed equally to all employees at the end of the year. “Individual bonuses can be divisive. What we do is a team effort - whether it’s sales, implementation, or incident response. Everyone contributes to the customer experience. Individual bonuses would ignore that reality. I’m not saying our bonus system is the holy grail, but it definitely works for us.”

This mindset also applies to customer relationships. “To keep the company healthy, it’s important to focus on the right customers,” says Ingebrigtsen. “We’re looking for long-term relationships - strategic partnerships where we can solve real problems. In the past, we had a few customers who simply weren’t a good fit. They took time and energy away from customers who truly valued our work. Eventually, we let those customers go, and that decision was better for our people, our company, and our other customers.”

For that reason, mnemonic’s core focus isn’t monetary goals. “We don't sacrifice long-term sustainability for short-term gains. We focus on building strong, long-term relationships and solving real problems for our customers and the community. That’s what’s most important to us.”

Looking ahead

So how does mnemonic plan to stay successful for the next 25 years? “It comes down to trust,” says Ingebrigtsen. “Trust between colleagues, between management and staff, and with our customers. Trust is hard to build and easy to lose. The more people trust each other and the company, the better it is - and we need to maintain that for the years to come.”

“And of course,” he adds with a smile, “as little bullshit as humanly possible.”