Håkan Syrén

Template:Short description Template:Infobox military person

General Håkan Erik Gunnar Syrén (born 31 January 1952) is a retired Swedish Navy officer. Syrén graduated from the Royal Swedish Naval Academy in 1973 and began his career as an instructor and platoon commander at the Vaxholm Coastal Artillery Regiment. After advanced studies in Sweden and at the U.S. Naval War College, he held key posts including teacher of strategy, head of planning at the Naval Staff, and commanding officer of both the Marine Amphibious Battalion and the Vaxholm Coastal Artillery Regiment. He later served as head of operations planning at Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters and in 1999 was promoted to major general, becoming Director of Military Intelligence and Security.

In 2004, Syrén was appointed Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, a position he held until 2009. He then became Chairman of the European Union Military Committee (2009–2012), the EU's highest military post. Following his service, he founded his own consultancy, In General AB, and has remained active in strategic and defense-related advisory roles. His career established him not only as a leading figure in Swedish defense but also as a respected military leader on the international stage.

Early life

Syrén was born in Växjö, Sweden, the son of Lieutenant Colonel Gunnar Syrén<ref name="Johansson (1999)">Template:Cite news</ref> and his wife Siv Syrén. He grew up in Uppsala, where he graduated from Template:Ill in 1970.<ref name="Johansson (1999)"/>

Career

Military career

Syrén studied at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy from which he graduated in 1973.<ref name="CV (2014)">Template:Cite web</ref> He was then instructor and platoon commander at the Vaxholm Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 1) from 1973 to 1979 and studied at the Military Academy Karlberg in Stockholm from 1980 to 1984. Syrén was a staff officer at the Naval Staff in Stockholm from 1984 to 1988 and was a student at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, USA from 1988 to 1989. Back in Sweden, he was teacher of strategy at the Military Academy Karlberg from 1989 to 1990 and head of the Planning Department at the Naval Staff from 1990 to 1992. Syrén was then commanding officer of the Marine Amphibious Battalion from 1992 to 1994 and commanding officer of the Vaxholm Coastal Artillery Regiment from 1994 to 1996.<ref name="Heyman (2011), p. 49">Template:Cite book</ref>

Syrén was head of Operations Planning Department at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters from 1996 to 1998.<ref name="Heyman (2011), p. 49"/> In 1997 he completed a management course at the Swedish Defence University and in 1999 he completed the Senior International Defence Management Course (SIDMC) at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, USA.<ref name="CV (2014)"/> Back in Sweden, Syrén served as secretary to the Defence Commission at the Ministry of Defence in 1999. On 1 October 1999, Syrén was promoted to major general and assumed the position of Director of Military Intelligence and Security at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He served in this position until 2003.<ref name="Heyman (2011), p. 49"/>

In 2004, Syrén was appointed Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces. His appointment lasted until 31 December 2009. On 25 March 2009 he was succeeded by Sverker Göranson as Supreme Commander. On 29 October 2008, the Chiefs of Defence meeting of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) endorsed Syrén as the next chairman of the EUMC. In the position as CEUMC he was formally appointed by the Council of the European Union for a period of three years and succeeded general Henri Bentégeat on 6 November 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His appointment lasted until November 2012 and after this, he started his consulting firm In General AB the same year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Other work

Syrén was ADC to His Majesty the King from 1988 to 1996.<ref name="CV (2014)"/> He became a member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences in 1993 and of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1996.<ref name="CV (2014)"/> Syrén became a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in 1997<ref name="CV (2014)"/> and is a member of the Swedish Society for International Affairs (Utrikespolitiska samfundet).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2012 he became a senior advisor to the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the following year he became a board member of the SSC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Syrén is married to Birgitta and together they have three children.<ref name="CV (2014)"/>

Positions

1973–1979: Instructor and Platoon Commander at the Vaxholm Coastal Artillery Regiment
1980–1984: Student at the Military Academy Karlberg, Stockholm
1984–1988: Staff Officer at the Naval Staff, Stockholm
1988–1989: Student at the Naval War College, Newport, USA
1989–1990: Teacher of Strategy at the Military Academy Karlberg, Stockholm
1990–1992: Head of Planning Department, Naval Staff, Stockholm
1992–1994: Commanding officer of the Marine Amphibious Battalion
1994–1996: Commanding officer of the Vaxholm Coastal Artillery Regiment
1996–1998: Head of Operations Planning Department, Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters
1999–1999: Secretary to the Defence Commission, Ministry of Defence
1999–2003: Director of Military Intelligence and Security, Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters
2004–2009: Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces
2009–2012: Chairman of the European Union Military Committee