As CEO of BlueFil® NV (bluefil.com), Jerry Theys has a leadership style that is entrepreneurial, customer-focused, and committed to operational excellence. His resilience, adaptability, and ability to analyze complex environments and understand people, enabling him to identify problems and develop effective solutions, were driven by life-shaping experiences, such as leaving his hometown at a young age to work in a foreign country and facing uncertainty alone. These moments shaped his belief that bold decisions and hard work open doors.
Jerry holds a Magna Cum Laude Master of Science in Engineering and has led businesses in both the United States and Europe. Having lived in Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Africa, and the U.S., he brings a global mindset to leadership and is fluent in three languages.
Transforming Companies Into High-Value, High-Performance Organizations
With over 20 years of CEO and P&L leadership, Jerry has built a career focused on creating value, improving performance, and growing markets, particularly within the clean process engineering sector. He has worked closely with and has held a seat on dozens of boards, scaled family-owned multinationals, and, as CEO, generated $300 million in shareholder value in a Chemical Business turnaround, negotiated and managed syndicated debt and ABL facilities, sourced and closed multiple acquisitions, and developed international distribution networks with a focus on sustainable, long-term success.
Jerry is driven by results but equally committed to people and purpose. Throughout his career, he has led both restructuring and growth initiatives, reduced costs, expanded sales, diversified markets, and strengthened financial performance.
His experience spans international M&A, operations, process improvement, and executing buy-and-build strategies, where he has been actively involved from deal origination and due diligence to acquisition integration and long-term execution.
Engineering Cleaner Processes for a Cleaner Planet
A global specialist in high-efficiency demisters and separation technologies for industries such as nitrogen, syngas, hydrogen, fertilizers, chemicals, CCUS, metallurgy, water treatment, semiconductors, and chrome plating, BlueFil® delivers precision separation that protects its clients’ processes and the planet, from mist elimination to emission control.
BlueFil®’s tailor-made, energy-efficient systems prevent droplets, aerosols, and chemical emissions from reaching the environment, while improving plant reliability, increasing production capacity, and reducing operating costs. Their expertise includes mist and droplet separation, liquid/liquid separation, scrubber packing, and coalescing.
All solutions are lightweight, easy to maintain, adaptable to changing conditions, and designed to meet strict environmental regulations. With installations across 25+ countries, BlueFil® supports customers through a strong global engineering and service network, delivering tailored solutions to the highest performance standards.
Leadership Shaped by Challenge and Vision
Jerry’s most transformative moment in his professional journey was turning around a manufacturing business on the brink of bankruptcy into a profitable entity. This defining moment taught him that, with the right mindset, even the most challenging situations can become opportunities for growth and innovation.
A challenge he faced while scaling BlueFil® was the lack of resources and proper management, despite having strong products. “This challenge pushed me to hire and mentor young graduates, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset within the team. It reinforced my belief in investing in youth while respecting the wisdom of experience,” he recalls.
A recent achievement at BlueFil® that reflects Jerry’s vision for the company’s future was securing a third consecutive project in the same industry – thanks to accurate pricing and technical excellence – which showed that the company’s strategy works, positioning it for sustainable growth.
Leading with Purpose, Process, and Future Impact
Jerry emphasizes the importance of discipline and structure when making leadership decisions that positively shape future generations of entrepreneurs and innovators. “Operations are key to our organization. They are not an afterthought but central to our thinking,” he explains. This approach is supported through SOP-driven processes that create transparency, consistency, and redundancy across the team.
Hard work remains a core value, and the team lives this every day, working to support customers and delivering faster than promised. “There’s no replacement for hard work, and we practice that at BlueFil® NV,” Jerry says. He believes that leading with hard work, creativity, and integrity not only drives results but also inspires future leaders to embrace entrepreneurship and experience the fulfillment that comes from building something meaningful through effort and innovation.
As demand grows, BlueFil® is expanding its workforce and capabilities. “We start by respecting our existing team members, honoring their contributions, and ensuring new members add value based on the team’s current capabilities. This philosophy ensures growth without compromising culture,” Jerry shares.
In his role as CEO, Jerry sees innovation as forward-thinking. “Innovation means thinking beyond what exists – anticipating needs and creating solutions that leverage our core competencies.” He encourages teams to challenge assumptions, explore emerging niches, and take ownership of new ideas.
A key part of the company culture is empowering young talent. Jerry coaches new team members closely until they are confident and capable of leading independently. “Assigning complex tasks to young professionals tests their creativity and resilience,” he notes.
“It is amazing how lucky you get as you work harder.”
Driven by Customers, Strategy, and Global Collaboration
Jerry describes a typical day as a balance of leadership, responsiveness, and strategic thinking. Much of that responsiveness begins early. “My day is a mix of guiding teams, answering ‘why’ and ‘how,’ and ensuring fast responses to customers. Our days start with communication with customers – often early in the morning via email, calls, and WeChat – and end the same way, responding to as many questions and requests as possible within 24 hours,” he explains.
Beyond daily operations, Jerry dedicates time before and after office hours to long-term planning. Yet, what energizes him most isn’t spreadsheets or systems – it’s connection. “I focus on strategic planning – often in Excel, modeling scenarios to achieve growth. What energizes me most is being on the front line with clients and seeing our solutions make a real impact,” he explains.
This customer-first rhythm is supported by a diverse and global team. At BlueFil®, employees speak more than 10 languages and come from six countries across four continents. Jerry believes this multicultural foundation is a competitive advantage: “By embracing this diversity, we can leverage different approaches and experiences to achieve outstanding results.”
Balancing personal life with leadership demands remains a realistic challenge, but his motivation remains deeply rooted in passion and purpose. “True balance is rare. To excel in business, sacrifices are inevitable,” he admits. “I work long hours because I genuinely enjoy what I do – especially when I see positive feedback from customers. That satisfaction keeps me motivated.”
Staying Focused, Collaborative, and Purpose-Driven
Jerry credits his hands-on approach with helping him maintain focus in a fast-evolving business landscape. “I stay involved in every stage of the business cycle, from customer engagement to contract execution,” he explains. Remaining close to the work keeps him energized and ensures the organization can adapt quickly and thoughtfully.
Fostering collaboration – especially during uncertainty – comes down to mindset and ownership. “I encourage everyone to take a creative role and lead by example. Collaboration thrives when people feel empowered to contribute ideas and challenge the status quo,” Jerry says. This culture of shared responsibility not only strengthens execution but accelerates innovation.
Sustainability also plays a central role in Jerry’s long-term vision for BlueFil®. “Our products and solutions reduce emissions and support environmental goals. Sustainability isn’t just a trend – it’s integral to our mission and the industries we serve,” he affirms. For him, responsibility and performance go hand in hand – both shaping a company built for lasting impact.
To aspiring CEOs who want to lead with both innovation and integrity, Jerry offers the following words of wisdom: “Don’t be afraid to challenge old habits and open closed doors. Innovation starts with courage and a willingness to rethink everything.”
Conclusion
Jerry Theys’s legacy extends beyond growth metrics or milestones. He envisions BlueFil® as a benchmark for industrial separation, delivering precision-engineered solutions, operational excellence, and sustainable impact across global process industries.
While he aims for BlueFil® to triple its business within the next two years and expand its impact across multiple sectors, his deeper ambition is to leave behind a company defined by excellence, innovation, and unwavering customer focus – a place where people take pride in their work, think boldly, and push boundaries. For Jerry, that enduring culture will be his true contribution to BlueFil® and the industry at large.
