Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces
What position did Sverker Göranson take from Mar 2009 to Sep 2015?
Sverker Göranson Sverker John Olof Göranson ( born 3 May 1954 ) is a Swedish Army general with an armoured forces background . In 1995 , he was the chief of staff of the Nordic battalion within UNPROFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars . Göranson was Inspector of the Swedish Army from 2005 to 2007 , and served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2007 to 2009 . He was the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces from 25 March 2009 , when he succeeded Håkan Syrén , until 1 October 2015 , when he was succeeded by Micael Bydén . Career . Göranson was born in Lund , Sweden , the son of Sven-Eric Göranson , a Natural science teacher , school leader and principal at Komvux , and Margit , a language teacher ( 1921–2005 ) . He soon moved with his parents to Kristianstad . He graduated from Österängsskolan in 1973 , which followed by technical high school in Hässleholm before enrolling at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg in 1974 . There he studied pedagogic , psychology and sociology and graduated in 1975 with a college examina in engineering . In June 1974 he started his mandatory conscription and served as a platoon leader at North Scanian Regiment ( P 6 ) in his hometown of Kristianstad , followed by the Swedish Armoured Troops Cadet and Officer Candidate School ( PKAS ) at Göta Life Guards ( P 1 ) in Enköping . He enrolled at the Military Academy Karlberg in 1975 and graduated in 1977 , finishing first in his class . Göranson was commissioned as 1st Lieutenant and served as a main battle tanks instructor . Göranson was promoted to captain in 1980 and passed the Basic Course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1983 to 1984 , when he was promoted to major . He then passed the General Staff Course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1985 to 1987 , finishing first in his class . Göranson served as a staff officer at the Southern Military Area ( Milo S ) from 1987 to 1989 and then as a staff officer at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters Staff for Joint Operations ( Operationsledningen , OPL ) from 1989 to 1991 . In 1990 he passed the 31st Military Course on Law of Armed Conflicts and the Basic Course at the Swedish National Defence College . From 1991 to 1993 Göranson was Deputy Project Manager , Tactical Evaluation of the main battle tank for the Swedish Army and was promoted to lieutenant colonel . He attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas , United States from 1993 to 1994 where he was one of the foremost among the foreign students . Göranson was later inducted into the Fort Leavenworth International Hall of Fame in 2008 . Göranson passed the UN Staff Officer Course in 1994 and was a senior teacher of army tactics at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1994 to 1995 . Göranson was then chief of staff of the Nordic Battalion 2 ( Nordbat 2 ) /BA 05 in the United Nations Protection Force ( UNPROFOR ) in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1995 to 1996 . In 1996 he was deputy battalion commander of Swebat in the Implementation Force ( IFOR ) in Bosnia and Herzegovina . Back in Sweden , he was deputy brigade commander of Southern Scania Brigade ( Södra skånska brigaden , MekB 7 ) from 1996 to 1997 when he was promoted to colonel . Göranson was brigade commander of the Life Guards Brigade ( Livgardesbrigaden ) in Stockholm from 1997 to 2000 and did the Senior Level Leadership Management Course in 1998/1999 . He was military and assistant defence attaché to the United States from 2000 to 2003 when he was promoted to brigadier general . Göranson did the Civilian/Military Command Course Senior Level in 2003 and was then assistant chief for defence planning and operations at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters from 2003 to 2005 . In 2004 he did the Danish Chief of Defence Security Policy Course and from 2005 to 2007 he served as Inspector of the Swedish Army . Göranson served as Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces ( Försvarsmaktens stabschef ) from 2007 to 2009 before being appointed Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces on 6 March 2009 . He took office of 25 March 2009 . Göranson was Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces for 6 years before he was succeeded by Micael Bydén on 1 October 2015 . Post-retirement . From 1 April 2016 Göranson worked with a group of advisors to the Saab Group in the United States and on 18 May 2016 he became a board member of Invidzonen , an organization for relatives of Swedish personnel employed by the Swedish Armed Forces and the police force serving abroad . On 1 March 2017 he became chairman of the board of the Nordic Travel Group . On 9 March 2017 Göranson , together with Ari Puheloinen , was awarded the 2017 Promoter of the Year of Relations Between Sweden and Finland by the Sweden-Finland Society ( Samfundet Sverige-Finland ) . On 27 March 2017 Göranson was elected chairman of the Swedish Veterans Association ( Sveriges Veteranförbund ) . He is also a board member of the chemical intelligence company Serstech AB . In 2018 , Göranson was elected president of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences . Personal life . In 1976 he married Ann ( born 1955 ) and they have two children ( daughter born 1983 , son born 1985 ) . Dates of rank . Göransons promotions : - 1977 – Lieutenant - 1980 – Captain - 1984 – Major - 1993 – Lieutenant Colonel - 1997 – Colonel - 2003 – Brigadier General - 2005 – Major General - 2007 – Lieutenant General - 2009 – General Awards and decorations . Göransons decorations : Swedish . - H . M . The Kings Medal , 12th size gold medal with chain ( 2016 ) - For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm - Swedish Armed Forces Conscript Medal - Swedish Armed Forces International Service Medal - Home Guard Medal of Merit - North Scanian Regiment Commemorative Medal ( Norra skånska regementets minnesmedalj ) - Swedish Reserve Officers Federation Merit Badge ( Förbundet Sveriges Reservofficerares förtjänsttecken ) - Old Comrades Alliance of the Swedish Korea Ambulance Cross of Remembrance and Merit - Life Guards Dragoons Medal of Merit - Life Guards Medal of Merit Foreign . - Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland ( 2013 ) - Commander with star of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit ( 2 March 2012 ) - Gold Cross of Honour of the Bundeswehr - Commander of the Legion of Honour - Commander of the Legion of Merit ( 2005 ) - Officer of the Legion of Merit ( 2003 ) - Knight Commanders Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany ( 2014 ) - United Nations Medal in bronze ( UNPROFOR ) - NATO Medal ( IFOR ) - Italian CHOD Order of Merit for International Operations ( Medaglia donore interforze dello Stato Maggiore Difesa ) - Finnish Freedom Fighters Blue Cross - United States Army Command and General Staff Officer Course Badge Honours . - Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences ( 2002 ) - President of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences ( 2018 ) - Member of the International Hall of Fame at the United States Army Command and General Staff College ( 2008 ) - Honorary Subaltern of the Life Guards ( 2008 )