- Fred Kuhnert brings more than 25 years of defense, intelligence and space experience
- He served in leadership roles at SAIC, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman
- Kuhnert served in the U.S. Air Force and the Oklahoma Air National Guard
SES Space & Defense has appointed Fred Kuhnert as senior vice president of business development to lead its growth strategy across U.S. government and allied markets.
The company announced the appointment on LinkedIn Wednesday, saying Kuhnert brings more than 25 years of experience in the defense, intelligence and space sectors to his new role.
What Experience Does Kuhnert Bring to SES Space & Defense?
Kuhnert founded Polaris Global Advisory in February and is currently serving as its CEO. He previously spent nearly five years at SAIC, most recently as SVP of strategy and growth for the space and intelligence business group. He also served as SVP of national security and space strategy and growth and VP of space business development and technology strategy.
Before joining SAIC, Kuhnert spent more than eight years at Raytheon, where he led business development efforts involving space and command-and-control capabilities, as well as constellation management and protection. He began his Raytheon tenure in 2013 as senior engineering manager for international solutions.
Earlier in his career, Kuhnert spent more than eight years at Northrop Grumman, working in cyber and tactical space business development and mission engineering. He also managed a layered intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance program for more than six years.
Prior to moving into the private sector, Kuhnert served for more than nine years in air logistics and operations in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. He previously served in airborne communications in the U.S. Air Force’s 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron.
What Will Kuhnert Oversee in His New Role?
Kuhnert will be responsible for shaping SES Space & Defense’s approach to business development in the U.S. government and international defense sectors. His work will focus on customer engagement, understanding evolving mission requirements and identifying potential areas for business growth.
What Other Leadership Changes Has SES Space & Defense Made?
Kuhnert joins a leadership team led by David Broadbent, who became president and CEO in July 2025 after SES combined the government and defense divisions of SES and Intelsat into a single organization. The company also added Joanne Isham, a retired CIA senior executive, to its board in December 2025. In September 2025, former Intelsat and L3Harris executive Ray Lindenmayer joined the company as vice president of business development.
