By: Tavi Dhillon
EVER SINCE JORDAN FREED was a young man, he has expressed a keen interest in the military. His father was in the Royal Canadian Airforce and would share stories of his time in the RCAF with his family. Inspired by these tales, although Freed never served in the military, he still found his way into the defence world.
However, his path into the defence sector was anything but a straight course. Freed’s first job was in the steel industry, where he would remain until the early 2000s when North American steel manufacturers suffered an economic downturn in sales. Then, Freed shifted his career trajectory into the telecommunications field until the outsourcing revolution of the mid-2000’s made that sector untenable.
After these two career paths failed to pan out, Freed found a leadership opportunity which was the missing piece of his career puzzle: the defence industry.
As Freed describes his decision: “the defence industry started to beckon as one that would have a long, stable future in North America that would also provide an opportunity to combine personal interests with my career.” Freed’s career in the defence industry would soon surpass these initial expectations. Currently, Freed is the President and Managing Director of the Ottawa based Kongsberg Geospatial.
Freed began his role at Kongsberg Geospatial in March of 2022. This Canadian company specializes in defence technology — specifically software for mapping, situational awareness and geospatial visualization.
In 2006, its predecessor was purchased by a Norwegian company, Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace. This would be the birth of Kongsberg Geospatial, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of its Norwegian parent company.
On their website, Kongsberg Geospatial describes their geospatial software as military grade and proven in combat. Their ninth generation of the “TerraLens” geospatial software produces 2D and 3D mapping and perspectives for the user. This means that if the user has access to a computer, they can be anywhere in the world and still see the area they are interested in.
Kongsberg says this software development kit can be applied in various situations. Including in air and missile defence systems, air traffic control, and unmanned systems. The software is deployed on major programs worldwide, including LM AEGIS, NASAMS, and CAATS (NAV CANADA’s Canadian Automated Air Traffic System).
The practical application of Kongsberg’s software is seemingly limitless. Their website describes their software as being used by: “military personnel, air traffic controllers, and first-responder reflecting the organization’s core purpose of enabling mission critical decisions.
In addition to his work in Kongsberg’s Canadian subsidiary, which is in Ottawa, Freed works alongside his Norwegian colleagues. “I get to interface with colleagues in multiple divisions of Kongsberg in Norway as we collaborate on several major projects there that are driving historic growth for Kongsberg Geospatial in Ottawa this year,” Freed said.
He described one of the highlights of his current career as joining Kongsberg and meeting his new colleagues.
Jordan Freed brought his employees together after taking on his role as president of Kongsberg Geospatial.
“It always starts with the people,” Freed said, “and from the team that was in place when I started, to my colleagues in Norway, to the fantastic additions we have been able to make over the past year, I cannot say enough about the talent we have and the quality of the individuals by whom I am surrounded.”
Kongsberg’s employees were working online for two years when Freed took on the role of president. For him, online introductions were not an option, as meeting in person was the beginning of bringing people together. When his team returned to the office last year, some of its members were meeting each other in-person for the first time, despite working for the company for years.
Since the height of the pandemic has seemingly ended, the company has shifted to a hybrid model — meaning employees are doing a mixture of in office and online work. Freed described his appreciation for the hybrid model and noted his enjoyment of the in-person days. “The energy in the building on the days when most people are on site is amazing,” Freed said.
Regarding the future of Kongsberg Geospatial, Freed said it looks promising. On the home front, Kongsberg will be continuing to pursue the Royal Canadian Navy’s Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Unmanned Aircraft (ISTAR UAS) program, where they work alongside Voyageur Aviation and Shield.AI. — the collaborative unit that consists of these three companies is called Team V-BAT.
The ISTAR UAS program will allow for increased situational awareness of alternative airborne platforms that are operated from the Halifax-class frigate. The RCN says the increased awareness will allow for maximal results with minimal risk for its members and crew.
Kongsberg announced the formation of Team V-BAT in October of 2022 — about six months after Freed began his role as president. An initial delivery of the product is expected to take place from 2023-2024 and the final project will be submitted in 2027.
On the international level, Kongsberg Geospatial will be working alongside its Norwegian counterpart to support some of their projects in Norway.
“Kongsberg Geospatial is taking a major step forward in our growth this year, primarily driven by a couple of major projects we are supporting in Norway. The largest of the Norway projects is the significant team we have in Ottawa supporting the development of the ORCCA Combat Management System for the 212CD submarine,” Freed told Esprit de Corps.
Freed said by being able to collaborate and prioritize the needs of the people he’s worked with, he’s been able to transition between industries with minimal challenges.
“Ultimately, I got to where I am today with a focus on building organizational capability starting with a people-first culture that encourages collaboration, and a growth mindset that is not constrained by the status-quo,” he said.
“Be open to change, to new opportunities, never stop learning, and always put people first,” Freed said when asked to offer advice to young professionals in the defence industry. By entering the defence industry, Freed found the missing piece to his passion.
Freed is family focused. When he is not in the office, he can be found at home with his wife of over 26 years, Andrea, their daughter, Lily, and their toy poodle, Shayna. This year has been one of transition as their son, Isaiah, moved out and recently got engaged to his fiancée, Kait.
“I do most of the cooking at home, and have always relied on the barbecue for most of it — right through the winter months,” Freed said. Though he did note their recent purchase of an air fryer. The air fryer has allowed him and Andrea to cook indoors, which he said he appreciated despite Ottawa’s mild winter this year.
In the evenings, Freed and his wife also like to hone in on their craft. The two share a love of jigsaw puzzles.
“Andrea and I are avid dissectologists. It is a hobby we bonded over through the first couple of years of COVID,” Freed said. A “dissectologist” is the term for someone who enjoys doing puzzles and stems from the 19th century, when most of the jigsaw puzzles available were dissected maps.
Solving problems and connecting various pieces is not new to Freed. It is something he must do every day for Kongsberg Geospatial.
