Dennis Gyllensporre

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Tage Dennis Gyllensporre (born Öztürkmen; 14 July 1964) is a Swedish military officer with extensive experience in defense planning, international operations, and strategic leadership. He was commissioned in 1987 and began his career at the Norrland Signal Regiment, later holding various command and staff positions within the Swedish Armed Forces, NATO, and the United Nations.

Gyllensporre served as Chief of Policy and Plans Department (2012–2014) and later as Chief of Defence Staff (2014–2018), where he also led the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters and Special Forces. From 2018 to 2021, he was the Force Commander of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). His international experience includes roles as a liaison officer in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chief of Staff for ISAF's Regional Command North in Afghanistan, and staff assignments within the European Union and Swedish Ministry of Defence.

He has completed military education at institutions such as the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the National Defense University. In addition to his military career, he holds a PhD in policy analysis and governance and has been involved in academic research and teaching. Since 2022, he has been an associate professor at the Swedish Defence University and a visiting fellow at Pembroke College, Oxford. From 2025, he will serve as chairman of the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA).

Early life Gyllensporre was born on 14 July 1964 in Skellefteå, Sweden, the son of Güray Öztürkmen, a school counselor, and his first wife Irene Johansson. He and two brothers took the name Gyllensporre. He attended the Royal Institute of Technology from 1985 to 1991 when he received a Master of Science in computer science. During this time Gyllensporre also studied at the Swedish National Defence College from 1993 to 1994 and from 1995 to 1997 and he attended the University of Warwick from 1994 to 1997 when he received a Master of Business Administration in Corporate Strategy. He then served as a Nordic-Polish Brigade Liaison Officer to the US Division Headquarters (SFOR) in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1997 to 1998. Back in Sweden, Gyllensporre served as a Desk Officer for National and NATO/PfP Defence in the Planning Staff (J 5) at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters in Stockholm from 1998 to 2000. In this position he is also the head of the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, head of the Swedish Armed Forces Special Forces and the Commandant General in Stockholm. In 2017 Gyllensporre was introduced to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Hall of Fame. In 2019 the UN Secretary-General extended the appointment one more year, until October 2020. In 2020 the UN Secretary-General made a second extension of the appointment one more year, until October 2021. Gyllensporre is an associate professor of the Swedish Defence University from January 2022 and Visiting Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford (2023–24). From 1 January 2025, he will serve as chairman of the board of the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA).

Personal life In 1992 he married Helena Nordgren (born 1965). They have three children (born 1991, 1993 and 1997).

Foreign 50x50px German Armed Forces Deployment Medal, ISAF, Afghanistan.

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Civilian/military academic merits Executive Certificate, Harvard University, United States (2017) Associate Professor (Docent), Swedish Defence University (2015-), Sweden Military non-credit studies, Naval Postgraduate School, United States (2011) Doctor of Philosophy, Governance and Policy Analysis Dual Career Programme (2007–2010), Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, Maastricht University, Netherlands Military non-credit studies, National Defense University, United States (2005) Master of Arts, United States Army Command and General Staff College (2000–2001) Military non-credit studies, Swedish National Defence College (1995–1997) Master of Business Administration (MBA), Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, United Kingdom (1994–1998) Military non-credit studies, Swedish National Defence College (1993–1994) Master of Science in Computer Science and Engineering (1985–1991), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

Honours Dwight D. Eisenhower Award as top international graduate of the CGSC (2001) Member of the International Hall of Fame, United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) (2017) Leader of Change (Årets Förändringsledare) (2022) Vice President of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (2022–present)