The Austrian Armed Forces has promoted a woman to the rank of Major General for the first time. As reported by the “Kronen Zeitung” newspaper, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner has promoted Sylvia Sperandio to this prestigious rank and at the same time put her in charge of Directorate 8 – Military Healthcare. Sperandio was already promoted from colonel physician to brigadier general in 2017.
According to Krone, Tanner was delighted with the appointment of the “experienced officer” and “strong woman” as head of the military health service. “Nowadays, women are at the head of directorates, departments and also in units of the troops,” said Tanner.
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Born in Vöcklabruck in 1966, she has been serving in the Austrian Armed Forces for over 27 years. After graduating from high school, she studied human medicine at the University of Vienna, where she received her doctorate in 1993. She later earned a doctorate in psychotherapy science and an MBA in health care management. In 1998, she was one of the first women to join the armored reconnaissance battalion 3 in Mistelbach.
According to the army, the 58-year-old has taken command of medical facilities several times during her career. Since 2017, she has been in charge of the entire military healthcare system in Austria as Head of Army Medical Services, which has been reorganized and given a broader structure under the name Directorate since 2024.
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