Joachim joined on 30th October 2006 as Chief Executive of the Amber Group and Managing Director of the Amber Chemical Company Ltd. He is a German national and has lived and worked in Belgium, France and Germany as well as in the UK. Previously, he was President and Chief Executive of Luzenac, a Rio Tinto subsidiary and the world's leading talc mining producer, for five years. Prior to that, Joachim was European President of Ferro Corporation from April 1998 to December 2000. He started his career thirty years ago in the emulsifier and starch industry before joining Arco Chemical in 1983, where he held a number of senior management positions, and ultimately served as Global Business Director, Styrene for two years.  He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wuppertal.

Since 1st January 2007 Joachim is also non-executive chairman of Fluidata Ltd, a business service provider company and since 1st January 2008 non-executive Director of Innospec Inc, an international specialty chemicals company where he serves as chairman of the compensation committee.