On multiple occasions, Göranson voiced his criticism of this transition and the financial constraints facing the Swedish Armed Forces.

He graduated from Österängsskolan in 1973, which followed by technical high school in Hässleholm before enrolling at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg in 1974.

[1] In June 1974 he started his mandatory conscription and served as a platoon leader at North Scanian Regiment (P 6) in his hometown of Kristianstad, followed by the Swedish Armoured Troops Cadet and Officer Candidate School (PKAS) at Göta Life Guards (P 1) in Enköping.

[1] From 1991 to 1993 Göranson was Deputy Project Manager, Tactical Evaluation of the main battle tank for the Swedish Army and was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Göranson was then chief of staff of the Nordic Battalion 2 (Nordbat 2)/BA 05 in the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina late 1995.

Göranson did the Civilian/Military Command Course Senior Level in 2003 and was then assistant chief for defence planning and operations at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters from 2003 to 2005.

[5] Göranson was Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces for 6 years before he was succeeded by Micael Bydén on 1 October 2015.

[9] On 9 March 2017 Göranson, together with Ari Puheloinen, was awarded the "2017 Promoter of the Year of Relations Between Sweden and Finland" by the Sweden-Finland Society (Samfundet Sverige-Finland).