It was a chilly Christmas holiday in his hometown of Indiana, Pennsylvania, when the phone call came in. Toretti was putting wood on the fire.
My spontaneous thought was: Sweden, it's cold there too. Then I said yes.
The path to a Nordic country she had never visited before has been through decades of board assignments, fundraising campaigns for Republicans and commitment to women in business. And 27 years as CEO and chairman of the family-owned gas and oil drilling company SW Jack Drilling Company, which she took over at the age of 33 when her father suddenly passed away.
"It was tough. There were only men in the business. People in the industry made bets on how long I would last," she says, sitting on the couch in her residence in Stockholm.
Against rules – not diversity
Toretti stayed in office, even though her marriage fell apart and she had less time with her three sons. But she also recognized the importance of support. In the 1990s, she started an annual retreat for female CEOs and has since launched several programs for women in politics and business.
So how does she view the Trump administration's order to end so-called DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs within government agencies and at universities?
Diversity and inclusion are crucial to the success of any organization. But it should happen intuitively, not through rules, she says.
Look at the large number of homosexuals in high positions in the Trump administration. It doesn't go in line with the image of him as anti-LGBTQ.
Another Trump?
Toretti first met Trump around the turn of the millennium. She says she sees her father's military leadership style in the president, but emphasizes that there is also another person behind the one dominating the headlines, whom she calls "brilliant."
In the Oval Office and on trips, he is humble and respectful.
83 percent of Swedes have a negative image of Donald Trump, how do you plan to address that?
By being myself, I have a different style than him. But also by focusing on his agenda. What I want is for both our countries to be winners: safer and more successful.
Sweden is a new NATO member and many here are concerned about President Trump's NATO-critical statements and threats that the alliance's security guarantees will not apply to everyone. What do you say to them?
We stand behind NATO. We are not going anywhere, and we stand firmly behind Article 5.
… the trade war between the US and Europe: “In the US, we have long been perceived as a protective big brother, especially after World War II. We have helped others to the point where it has hurt us. President Trump has been brave in standing up for a more equal relationship. This is not about isolationism or abandonment, but about creating an equal partnership, and I am relieved that a deal with the EU has been reached.”
...US visit on wish list: "I hope to have Secretary of State (Marco) Rubio and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick here. I also think several members of Congress will come."
... view of the opposing party, the Democrats: "I am fiscally conservative and have served in the Republican leadership. But I have many Democratic friends, including my college roommate and my goddaughter who is an LGBTQ activist in Los Angeles. I do everything I can to win an election, but when it's over, I meet friends on the opposing side and laugh with them."
