Company commander

A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 250 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons. The exact organization of a company varies by country, service, and unit type. Aviation companies can have as few as 40 personnel, while some specialized companies such as maintenance or training units are considerably larger and may number as many as 500 personnel. In some forces, the second-in-command of a company is called the executive officer (XO).

Historically, companies were often formed and financed by individual owners rather than by the state. Sometimes these men were unable to personally exercise leadership and command over the men in their units, and would designate another individual to serve in that capacity

Austria

In the Austrian Army, a company commander is called a Kompaniekommandant (abbreviated "KpKdt").

Germany

In the German Army, a company commander is referred to as a Kompaniechef or Einheitsführer and is usually a captain, sometimes a lieutenant or major. In many companies of the medical corps (Sanitätsdienst), the Kompaniechef must be a medical officer (Sanitätsoffizier) and has the rank of major, titled as an Oberstabsarzt (staff doctor) or may possibly be a lieutenant colonel Oberfeldarzt (field doctor).