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Faces of LINK: Meet Jens Rugseth, Board Member & Founder
🎉 LINK Mobility is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and to mark this milestone, we are thrilled to feature a very special Faces of LINK guest: Jens Rugseth, the founder of LINK Mobility. Originally from Norway, Jens is a lifelong entrepreneur with a passion for golf and meaningful connections. Over the course of his career, he has founded more than 30 companies, and fun fact: he has never written one CV!
Before discovering his entrepreneurial spirit in his early teens, Jens dreamed of becoming a bicycle messenger, already envisioning ways to connect people and products. If Jens were a LINK product, he would be Kitty, one of the first chatbot. Although no longer around today, Kitty was a bold innovation, an AI product 25 years ahead of its time, built on the power of human connection and perfectly embodying Jens’ visionary mindset.
If he had a superpower? It would be the ability to convince others and spark change, something he has been doing since day one.
Tell us more about how the LINK adventure started and what was the vision behind it
When LINK Mobility was founded 25 years ago, few could have imagined the mobile phone becoming the essential business tool it is today. In those early days, LINK co-founder and tech visionary Morten Hjerde and I began by developing simple mobile games. At one point, seven of the top-selling games in Scandinavia were ours. While creatively fulfilling, it was not financially sustainable. Still, we were driven by a clear vision: to always aim high and push the boundaries of what mobile technology could do.
At the time, the idea that mobile phones could serve serious business functions was far from mainstream. Our breakthrough came in 2010 with a major project for Norwegian Airlines, which marked a turning point for us and for how the industry viewed mobile communication. Looking back, one of the decisions I am most proud of was staying the course during the difficult early years, even when we were not making any money. It took patience, belief, and a deep commitment to simplicity in our business model to eventually turn that vision into a reality.
What is your take on the LINK of today?
If I had to describe LINK Mobility in one word today, it would be winning. That mindset has been with us since the beginning, believing in what we built, even when it took years to gain traction. Success did not come overnight; it came one customer at a time, often starting with small businesses that believed in us. What makes me proud today is seeing that same spirit alive across the company. We are not just chasing growth, we aim to grow faster than the market by learning from every loss and striving to win the next round. But beyond numbers, what matters most to me is our people. As a founder, I have always believed that if someone invests a third of their life working at LINK, they deserve to feel part of something meaningful, a place where they can grow, be challenged, and ultimately thrive. I hope every manager carries that value forward, waking up each day thinking, “How can I make this a better place for my team?” Seeing our teams stick to our roots, supporting clients of all sizes in their local languages, maintaining a strong local presence, and not just chasing the biggest accounts, tells me we are still on the right path. It may not be the easiest strategy, but it is the one that builds lasting success.
What is your hope for LINK in the future?
My dream has always been to see LINK become a truly global company with a strong local presence anchored in every region of the world. In the next five to ten years, I believe we will be among the top three global players in our space. But beyond market position or products, I hope LINK’s legacy will be defined by the people. That years from now, our employees will look back and say, those were some of the best, most exciting years of my career. And that is what it is really about, building a winning company that people are proud to be a part of. So to everyone at LINK: let’s keep learning, keep growing, and above all, keep winning.
What would you say to anyone joining us today?
To every new employee joining LINK Mobility today, I want to say: Congratulations. You’re stepping into a company that combines the best of IT and telecom, and you will be part of one of the fastest-growing players in the industry. Take the time to learn, enjoy the journey, and make your mark.