FLiWHEEL Partners was founded by three leaders who share a common belief: the health of an organization will never exceed the health of its leadership.
We've spent decades building businesses, leading teams, and learning (often the hard way) what it takes to create organizations where people actually thrive. That experience is what we bring to every engagement.
Powered by GiANT Worldwide's proven leadership frameworks, including the 5 Voices, we work with individual leaders, teams, and entire organizations to build the kind of self-awareness, communication, and alignment that drives lasting performance.
We're based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and we work with clients locally and nationally across industries including manufacturing, technology, sales, construction, nonprofit, and education.
Whether you're a CEO trying to build a stronger leadership team, a manager navigating a growing organization, or a business owner who knows something needs to change but isn't sure where to start, we'd love to be the partner who helps you get there.
Meet the Team
Steve Ciesielski
Founding Partner
Steve has spent his career helping leaders and organizations close the gap between where they are and where they're capable of going.
With broad experience spanning manufacturing, service industries, startups, and nonprofits, Steve brings a rare ability to see into an organization and understand what's really happening beneath the surface. He helps leaders gain clarity on their present reality and future potential, then builds a path to get there through strategic change, operational excellence, and intentional people development.
Steve is a founding member of FLiWHEEL Partners and is passionate about coming alongside leaders who are ready to do the work. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife and children.
Charlie Slagle
Founding Partner
Charlie is a Knoxville native who has spent his entire career in the trenches of sales leadership.
After graduating from the University of Tennessee in 1984, Charlie built decades of experience leading high-performing sales teams. As the founding CEO of Hoffmann Quality Tools USA, the U.S. subsidiary of the $1.5 billion Hoffmann Group based in Munich, Germany, he grew the business from $1 million to $11 million in revenue in just five years while leading a team of 28 salespeople.
But building revenue was never the thing that got Charlie out of bed in the morning. His real passion has always been coaching and mentoring salespeople, sales teams, and leadership teams, fighting for their highest good. After a stint as COO of a $50 million residential construction company, Charlie stepped away in 2021 to focus entirely on what he was made to do. He became a Founding Partner at FLiWHEEL in 2024.
Gary Bekker
Founding Partner
Gary is an entrepreneur, business coach, and leader developer with roots that span continents.
Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, Gary launched his entrepreneurial career straight out of high school. After a successful run as an independent sales rep and an executive account manager at Dimension Data, a multibillion-dollar global technology firm, Gary founded his own company. Over the next 16 years, he built Vastratech into the leading education technology provider in South Africa.
In 2018, Gary relocated his family to Knoxville, Tennessee. Today, he works as a business coach and consultant, helping leaders discover and pursue their true purpose. Gary's vision is to help transform businesses into life-giving workplaces where people are encouraged to bring their God-given talents to the table every day. He and his wife, Jolandi, have three daughters: Annobelle, Emily, and Sarah-Grace.
Ready to See What's Possible?
Whether you're looking to develop your leaders, align your team, or build a healthier organization, we'd love to have a conversation about how FLiWHEEL Partners can help.