The story of Monet+ isn’t just about ones and zeros. It’s also about authenticity and strong bonds. Miluše Dvořáková was one of the first seven employees and lived through an era when company identity wasn’t born in marketing agencies, but during shared hikes and by campfires smelling of roasted sausages. In this interview, Miluše looks back on the company’s beginnings in the nineties, its journey to becoming a technological leader, and explains why an old, worn-out songbook is a true treasure to her.
Let’s go back to the very beginning. Most people imagine that working in an IT firm in the nineties must have been a bit of a “wild west.” How did Monet+ actually start, and how did you get there?
It all began on April Fool’s Day in 1996, when a part of the company split off from our parent company at the time, Derby. Monet+ wanted to specialize narrowly in the emerging technology of chip cards. As we can see today, the owners were true visionaries. I had been working at Derby as an assistant, but when the offer came to join Monet+, I didn’t hesitate. The team here was fantastic, and for me, it was a joy to go to work. The company was in its absolute infancy; there were only seven of us. Over time, our numbers settled at around twenty-five.
What was work like back then without an online connection?
It was a time when the fax was the fastest way to deliver written text to a customer (though with no guarantee of legibility), and dial-up internet was available on exactly one computer in the office. We’d travel to see customers in Bratislava or Prague in a Škoda Felicia without air conditioning—four people crammed in for the round trip. Back then, my colleagues could only dream of the comfort of first-class trains or staying in hotels. We used landlines; calling someone on a mobile was expensive, so we kept it brief and to the point. Our “Wiki” was the Handy Encyclopedia and a Dictionary of Foreign Words.Instead of AI, we relied solely on common sense. Those days are long gone now.
And what was it like functioning in a purely male “techie” collective?
Absolutely wonderful. We were a great bunch; there was a family atmosphere, and a person’s word was their bond. We were able to support each other and meet halfway; we relied on one another. Simply put, I got really lucky with the people.
When a stranger asks you today what Monet+ actually does, how do you explain it? After all, “digital cryptography” sounds pretty abstract to the average person.
My answer is: “You definitely know us—you’ve got us in your pocket.” People usually give me a surprised look, saying that’s impossible and they’ve never heard of our company. I like to reply: “Take out your wallet. Do you have an ID card? A payment card? Monet is behind those, too.” Then I continue through secure logins for online banking, mention paying for public transport, and move on to supermarket terminals. Everyone interacts with our technology daily—they just usually have no idea.
Shared events are an inherent part of Monet+. How did that all actually start?
That would be a long story. To keep it short—the beginnings were a bit “punk.” We didn’t need much comfort. The first events took place in the garden of our former headquarters on Zámecká Street. A campfire, sausages, guitars, and sitting on pallets left over from the building’s renovation were enough for us. We sang (or at least tried to 😀) and we were happy because we genuinely enjoyed spending time together. Our treasure from that era is an old company songbook that our colleague Aleš created back then. I still have it hidden away today—it’s worn out, the corners are frayed and ugly, but for us, it’s precious. It’s full of memories. We sang from it absolutely everywhere.
Most companies today spend a lot of effort inventing various teambuilding activities, but from your story, it sounds like these events happened quite naturally.
The first off-site events were spontaneous and private. We’d just agree and head out for a bike trip over the weekend. Gradually, it became a tradition that grew into official events, always combined with cycling or hiking, presentations of company results, project updates, and celebrating successes. I believe the first one was at Bačkárka in the Javorníky mountains around the year 2000, when the company transitioned from an s.r.o. (LLC) to an a.s. (joint-stock company). Then came Javorka, Masarykova chata, and even Paris or Zell am See. In Kudlovická dolina, we got our first company cycling jerseys (I’ll admit, I don’t fit into mine anymore, but I keep it out of nostalgia) and a sense of belonging to the company identity. That’s also when the name “Monettour” was born, which we still use today.
How did the “Monet+Partner” format come about?
The very first event for employees and their partners was a theater performance of The Fast Arrows (Rychlé šípy) at the Slovácké divadlo in Uherské Hradiště. It was essentially the premiere of a format that evolved into a tradition where we meet annually with our partners as well.
Last year, Monet+ won the top award: Czech Company of the Year 2025. What does that mean to you as someone who has been there from the very beginning?
When we won Company of the Year 2025, I felt immense pride. I watched the announcement on TV, and the moment when Jan Vavrys, the CEO, accepted the award, I was truly moved. He didn’t just deliver the usual clichés about a good team; he looked into the camera and said: „milé kolegyně a milí kolegové, děkuju vám, je to čest s váma pracovat…“. “Dear colleagues, thank you. It is an honor to work with you…” The fact that he was thinking of us at that moment meant a lot, and I’m sure not just to me.
For me, those 30 years at Monet represent not only a bunch of great people but also countless challenges that the turbulent nineties (and, honestly, the company leadership) threw our way. It was an incredible opportunity for personal growth. Today, Monet+ is the Company of the Year. And I am truly happy to be a part of this MonetGRANDtour.
