Meet Fortytwo's Newest Employee: Bendik Berntsen!

Fortytwo continues to grow, and we are excited to welcome our new colleague, Bendik Berntsen. Bendik brings a decade of experience in cybersecurity, cloud, and identity, and will combine technical presales with strategic advisory services to help our customers simplify complexity, secure productivity, and succeed in their cloud journey.  

With a proven track record in both technical and strategic roles, and a strong belief in the Zero Trust approach, he is set to strengthen Fortytwo’s mission of securing digital identities and enabling innovation. 

Why Fortytwo? 

 "I have worked with some of the people at Fortytwo previously, and I know what they are good for—and I want to be part of what comes next,” he says.  

Having spent the last ten years in cybersecurity and cloud, he understands the importance of securing digital identities in today’s threat landscape.  

“Fortytwo’s approach to automating the identity lifecycle with real-time data is crucial, not just for protecting businesses but also for enabling innovation at greater speed. I strongly believe in Zero Trust, and the best place to start that journey is by securing identities. That’s where you get the most value for both security and for creating better experiences for employees and partners.” 

What he brings 

Bendik has worked as a strategic advisor, technical sales specialist, and service developer within cybersecurity, IAM, and cloud—covering automation, BI, operations, and security. This mix allows him to communicate across organizational layers and act as a valuable sparring partner for business leaders, helping them frame the right questions to clarify decisions. He has also been a speaker at some of Norway's largest IT conferences, sharing his expertise and insights on identity and security. 

Where he has been 

His career has included roles at several successful scale-ups focused on Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, as well as at one of the largest IT companies in the Nordics, where he worked across various cybersecurity disciplines, including SOC, IRT, penetration testing, GRC, and IAM. Before his IT career, he also spent a few years as a store manager and buyer in retail, gaining firsthand experience with supply chain, staffing, and HR systems. That role gave him a unique perspective on how businesses struggle with IT challenges in their day-to-day operations; an understanding that helps him connect better with customers. 

What sets him apart  

“I don’t think I’m that unique, but I’ve often been told I’m good at making complex topics easy to understand and relevant in context,” he says.

On a lighter note, he once tried to cross Morocco from east to west on a 50cc Honda Monkey bike without any preparation—an adventure that proved as memorable as it was impractical. 

One buzzword he’d erase  

When asked which IT buzzword he would eliminate, Bendik doesn’t hesitate:

“NextGen. It’s overused, and just because something is ‘next generation’ doesn’t mean it’s better—it’s just new. And of course, the flood of ‘AI in everything’ these days speaks for itself.” 

We are proud to welcome Bendik to Fortytwo. His blend of technical expertise, strategic insight, and ability to make security approachable will help us continue building secure, scalable, and people-focused solutions.