While churning through the chapters of his memoir, it became clear that John Torinus was often in the role of change agent. Frequently, that meant starting a new business or fixing a broken organization in either the for-profit or non-profit worlds. He loves assembling a team of what he calls “wizards’ in different disciplines, shaping a strategy, and then turning them loose to achieve success.
Of course, there were losses amidst the wins along John’s entrepreneurial journey. Nevertheless, it was a fun ride. He considered entitling the book, “Everything I learned about business, I learned by screwing up.” Other business people said they could write a similar book. Straight Talk from the Heartland provides a compelling overview of a life well lived.
About the author:
John Torinus Jr., owner and chairman of 500-person Wisconsin manufacturing company, has dug deep into a wide range of public policy issues pivotal to the health of the U.S. economy. His essays and commentary are grounded in experience in the real world. He is non-partisan, pragmatic and offers non-partisan solutions from a ground-level perspective in every piece he writes.
His experience includes 20 years as a business editor and columnist; a leveraged buyout of his manufacturing company; 20 years as its CEO; founder of three startup ventures; angel investor in 15 other startups; director of several dozen companies; a Congressional Fellowship; and three years as U.S. Marine officer. He has written two books on getting out-of-control health costs under control at private companies.
Torinus graduated from Yale in Industrial Administration and holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Stockholm. His graphics company has operated plants in the U.S., Mexico, China and India.
Enter your email to receive our "Fresh Off the Press" notices.
