Thomas Süssli

Thomas Süssli (born 24 September 1966) is a Swiss Lieutenant General. Since 1 January 2020, he has served as the Chief of the Armed Forces. He succeeded Philippe Rebord.

Biography Süssli worked in the private sector in the banking and IT realms before becoming a full-time officer in 2015. In 2019, he was chosen to succeed Philippe Rebord as Chief of the Armed Forces, with his selection being viewed by observers as unusual considering his background. Rebord's formal retirement ceremony was held on 5 December 2019, and Süssli formally became the Armed Forces chief on 1 January 2020.

Tenure In late 2025 it was reported that Süssli opposed the planned introduction of Microsoft Office 365 across the military, calling it both too risky for holding confidential data and too expensive. In a letter to the Federal Chancellery, he demanded an immediate halt to the project and the creation of a separate, secure IT infrastructure for the Swiss army. This was revealed due to a Swiss freedom of information act request asking for some of his correspondence in relation to the matter.

Decorations and awards Süssli has been awarded the following decorations:

Length of Service Decorationwith three golden rosettesPistol (Level 1)Military sport (Level 1)Namibia Mission Insignia