Charlie Slaven
The Slaven Group, LLC
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
About
Charlie Slaven brings over 40 years of executive leadership experience across manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and professional services. As a most recent VP of Strategic Initiatives at Kaivac Inc., he drove growth and profitability through innovative manufacturing processes. His expertise combines financial acumen (CPA background) with operational excellence (Six Sigma Master Black Belt), making him uniquely qualified to guide companies through scaling challenges.
His track record includes delivering $4M+ in process improvements, achieving 25% year-over-year sales growth, and driving 40% revenue growth with 50% EBITDA improvements. As a certified Scaling Up and a prior Great Game of Business coach, he implements sustainable growth strategies while maintaining quality and profitability.
Charlie's approach balances technical expertise with strong leadership. He specializes in business model implementation, change management, quality systems development, and strategic planning. His experience spans administering $20M budgets, supporting over 1,200 staff, and helping to secure major corporate incentives from various military customers.
A former professor and serial entrepreneur, Charlie brings academic rigor and practical business experience to his coaching. He's known for developing customer-centric solutions and building high-performance teams. His commitment to continuous learning and long-term relationships (demonstrated by his 52-year marriage) makes him an ideal partner for companies seeking transformational growth.
His CPA expertise, technological knowledge, and process improvement skills allow him to address complex business challenges while focusing on people and core values. Charlie excels at helping companies with scale operations while preserving quality and culture.
Professional Highlights
Perfect for companies seeking experienced guidance in scaling operations while maintaining quality, profitability, and a strong respect for the individuals.
PROFESSIONAL OVERVIEW:
- Retired from an innovative manufacturing Company as VP of Strategic Initiatives
- Certified in Scaling Up, Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and previously in the Great Game of Business
- Background: CPA, Project Management, Business Process Engineering, & Information Technology
- Former Professor at Northern Kentucky University, Ohio University, and the University of Pheonix
- Serial entrepreneur with multiple successful ventures at the executive level
- Demonstrated success in large, medium, and small organizations at all organizational levels
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Delivered $4M+ in process improvement results over 3 years
- Led 25% YOY sales growth in manufacturing
- Drove 40% revenue/50% EBITDA growth through strategic initiatives
- Administering a $20M budget and supporting over 1200 staff for a large Information systems and technology organization
- Helped to secure a $60M incentive for a Fortune 10 Company from a military customer
- Implemented organizational changes saving over $5M
EXPERTISE:
- Business model implementation and Change management
- Financial & operational optimization
- Quality systems development and deployment
- Strategic planning and execution
- Process design and improvement
- Team building & leadership
- Sales process enhancements
COACHING APPROACH:
- Results-driven methodology
- Focus on sustainable growth
- Strong financial acumen with operational expertise
- Emphasis on every person’s development
- Practical implementation strategies
- Customer-centric perspective
- Balance of technical & interpersonal skills
Personal Highlights
- Fifty-two years of marriage demonstrates a long-term commitment. - Father of three and grandfather of 8 where he is and was very active in their development as student-athletes up through college
- Coach and referee for soccer for 14 years and a basketball and baseball coach
- Volunteer at his church, where he was an Elder and the Chairman of the Board, school system, community, and the project management community, where he was recognized as a life-long fellow of PMI SW Ohio Chapter of PMI and was on the Board as President three times
- A values-based leader with a focus on family and faith
- Lifelong learner with continuous professional development
Coaching Regions
US - Midwest
US - Northeast
US - Southeast
US - Southwest
US - West
Australia
Canada - Atlantic Region
Canada - Central Canada
Europe
New Zealand
Industry of Expertise
Accounting/Finance
Administrative/Clerical
Building/Construction
Computer/IT/Software Development
Education/Training
Engineering
Human Resources/Training/ Development
Insurance
Manufacturing/Production/Operations
Medical/Health
“Charlie Slaven has been with Kaivac for nearly 6 years. His contributions to our results have been continual and significant, and they include:
1. The redevelopment and deployment of our Sales training program contributed to our significant revenue growth during his tenure.
A. He mentored many of our salespeople in the creation of their account plans
B. With a partnership in Europe, he helped to lead the untethering of that partnership with Kaivac.
2. Development of our education and development practices which have helped us create a learning culture at Kaivac.
A. He helped us implement monthly and quarterly leadership training sessions.
B. He developed a book club that paid people for learning and shared their new knowledge with their peers and superiors.
C. He helped us implement a corporate book reading culture that supported us professionally and personally.
D. Charlie helped to develop my leader’s potential with his influence and application of his knowledge.
3. Together with our external coach and our President, he helped to lead the implementation of Scaling Up, which helped us build improved scaling practices in the domains of People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash.
A. He facilitated the teaching of the Scaling Up best practices.
B. Charlie helped us develop the One Page Strategic Plan and its supporting documents.
C. For People, he helped us implement an A-Player agreement and accountability system.
D. We implemented Daily, weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly / Annual Huddles that kept us aligned and accomplished work that delivered continuous progress toward our critical number.
E. In the people section of Scaling Up, he helped us implement the principles taught by Patric Lencioni on the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, which improved team performance.
F. For Strategy, he helped lead us through Outthink the Competition
G. In Strategy, we implemented the Strategic Thinking Team, and through its evolution, we improved our ability to address strategic issues in addition to operational issues.
H. In the best practices for Execution, he helped us build and implement detailed accountability plans in two different software applications.
I. In execution, we now better create business cases with ROIs for all new investments.
J. In the area of Cash, introducing the seven levers and managing labor costs by type has led to profitability improvements we may not have addressed without this new set of insights.
4. Process Improvement - Charlie has been instrumental in supporting Kaivac's implementation of Scaling Up Process Accountability and Lean Six Sigma. I enthusiastically recommend Charlie Slaven for any position requiring a dedicated, intelligent, and results-oriented individual. As the CEO, I have had the pleasure of working with Charlie during his time at Kaivac, and I have been consistently impressed by his contributions to our Kaivac team. His ability to quickly grasp complex concepts and apply them to our specific challenges has been invaluable. Charlie's analytical skills and attention to detail have helped us identify areas for improvement and implement effective solutions. Beyond his technical expertise, Charlie has been a pleasure to work with. His positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile have made him an asset to our team. Charlie has also been a great mentor to our Executives and me. He is always willing to help anyone; everyone develops their skills and grows professionally. Charlie's combination of intelligence, hard work, and positive attitude makes him an exceptional candidate for any role. I wholeheartedly recommend him as your Coach.”
- Bob Robinson | Senior CEO | Kaivac