Thorén was the first Director-General of the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA).

[1] Thorén was commissioned as an officer in the Swedish Navy with the rank of underlöjtnant in 1912.

[1] He studied at the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1919 to 1920, and then attended the torpedo course there.

After that, he received a position as division commander in the Destroyer Division (Jagardivisionen), but before World War II erupted as head of department at the Naval Staff and, subsequently, at the Defence Staff (1938-1942).

[1] His relationship with the Finnish intelligence was the key to Operation Stella Polaris.