Aurel Kinimbaga

Regional Finance Director, West & Central Africa · Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

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Aurel Kinimbaga’s career has carried him across the length and breadth of the African continent, but it began in Congo-Brazzaville, where he was born and raised. After earning a master’s degree in accounting and audit in Senegal, he returned home to start out in finance, soon moving into Congo’s largest industry: oil and gas. He rose quickly, becoming one of the youngest deputy CFOs at Perenco, a major oil and gas operator in the country. “It gave me all the exposure I was looking for, and all the skills I needed to launch my career,” he recalls.

When the oil price crisis came, Aurel left for a trading company, working between Congo-Brazzaville and the DRC. The role was fast-paced and high-stakes, but it gradually pulled him away from the finance discipline he loved. “I thought I needed to leave my comfort zone,” he says, “then I found out two or three years later that I was too far from it.”

Wanting to return to finance without giving up his regional exposure, he reached out to Careers in Africa, which led to him to an opportunity at Altrad Prezioso, where he led operations across Sub-Saharan Africa. This role proved to be a launchpad to the rest of Aurel’s career. His profile soon attracted Bureau Veritas, who appointed him Regional CFO for Central Africa and gave him a seat on the operating committee. It was here, he says, that he learnt to lead rather than simply report. “Beyond the numbers, tell us the story,” he recalls being told. With a direct line to the board, his perspective transformed. “Before, I was just a finance guy explaining the numbers for what they were, not for what they mean. I made that shift, and it completely changed my mindset.”

"None of this would have happened if I didn’t take the role at Altrad Prezioso. It put me on the spotlight long enough to become someone who can manage many markets, sit in the boardrooms, and lead big operations."

That experience built a deep and durable confidence, one that carried him through what he calls his biggest challenge yet: moving to Lagos to lead operations across West Africa. His career has since spanned a remarkable range, from co-building a high-speed internet venture from scratch in Gabon, a model now running across nine African markets, to his role today at DHL, where he is Regional Finance Director for 14 countries in West and Central Africa, the largest scope of his career so far.

Aurel has also founded his own advisory practice, Erydon Africa, supporting SMEs across the continent, and sits as a board member of Linked Africa, mentoring young people starting their career journeys. “I realised I needed to give back to the ecosystem,” he says. His advice to those earlier in their careers echoes his own story: trust yourself, stay open to challenges, and never underestimate the value of a single conversation. “Sometimes you don’t know what exactly will click with someone,” he says, “but you sow the seeds.” From a young accountant in Congo Brazzaville to a finance leader steering operations across 14 countries, Aurel’s journey shows what can unfold when ambition meets the right opportunity, and the courage to take it.