Severin Njinga

Severin is the President and Chairman of Nyiragongo Company Sarl, where he leads strategic direction and operational execution for integrated mining services across Africa. With a foundation in mechanical engineering and over 20 years of global experience across industrial, technology, and mining sectors, Severin brings a unique blend of technical, operational, and digital expertise to the forefront of mining innovation. 

Prior to Nyiragongo, Severin served as Director of Industry Solutions at Microsoft, where he spearheaded digital transformation initiatives across the Manufacturing, Energy, Supply Chain, Retail, and Consumer Goods sectors. He led cross-functional global teams in launching Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing and delivering AI-powered solutions that enhanced operational efficiency, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision-making—capabilities that now define Nyiragongo’s technology-forward mining approach. 

His earlier career includes senior leadership roles at Mercedes-Benz Research & Development, Airbus, The Boeing Company, Apple, and Amazon. Across these roles, he managed more than $4 billion in capital projects and led infrastructure and production development efforts across five continents. He has generated over $3 billion in revenue while launching innovative products, optimizing global supply chains, and building resilient, high-performing operations. 

Under his leadership, Nyiragongo has rapidly expanded to deliver comprehensive mining services—from digital transformation and exploration and production drilling to maintenance of infrastructure, engineering support, and supply contract execution. The company is now a trusted partner to leading mining operators across Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Severin is committed to building inclusive, high-performing teams and transferring world-class operational standards to emerging markets. He serves on the board of the Equity Alliance of Washington and supports housing and education initiatives focused on underserved communities. 

He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Mannheim University of Applied Sciences in Germany and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Washington in Seattle. He is fluent in five languages, including French, German, and English.