André Blattmann

André Blattmann (born 6 March 1956) was the Swiss Lieutenant General and Chief of the Armed Forces from 1 March 2009 (ad interim since 20 August 2008) until 31 December 2016. He led the Swiss army after the leave of Roland Nef ad interim on 25 July 2008.

Biography

Blattmann did an apprenticeship as a clerk and was promoted to Bachelor of Business Administration. In 2003 he completed an Executive MBA education at the University of Zurich.

In December 2015, Blattman warned that cutbacks to the Swiss military are a serious threat because of the rise of terrorism and hybrid warfare.

In March 2016 the minister of defence announced the retirement of André Blattmann by the end of 2016. His formal retirement ceremony was held on 8 December 2016 and he was succeeded by Philippe Rebord on 1 January 2017. After his retirement, Blattmann continued to work for the Swiss Armed Forces as an advisor, expecting to retire on 31 December 2017.

On 16 November 2017 André Blattmann was appointed to the Board of Directors of Swiss International Air Lines, where he would take up his duties on 1 January 2018.

Decorations and awards

Length of Service Decorationwith three golden rosettesAssault Rifle (Level 2)Military sport (Level 2)Operations within Switzerland