Joe Read appointed Managing Director of Biesterfeld for UK and Ireland

Joe Read has been appointed Managing Director of Biesterfeld in United Kingdom and Ireland, effective March 1, 2026. He will succeed Guy Payne, who will step into the role of a long-term advisor. Biesterfeld is the holding company of the Biesterfeld Group, one of the international leading distribution and service companies in the field of polymers, rubber, specialty chemicals and ingredients.

Joe Read brings a wealth of experience from the British and European engineering polymers industry, having held senior roles in sales, commercial leadership and strategic marketing at companies including DuPont, Delrin and EMS-Chemie. He also has deep roots in the composites industry, having successfully led a distribution company with his father for several years.

“I am very excited about this new opportunity to actively support the next phase of Biesterfeld's development in the UK and Ireland. Biesterfeld is a well-known player in the British polymer industry, and I am eager to build on this success and further develop the business step by step,” Joe Read said.

“With Joe Read, we have gained a highly experienced manager, to develop our business and drive growth through strategic thinking and deep technical knowledge. He brings a broad and versatile range of experience and will undoubtedly take our business to the next level. I also want to take the opportunity to thank Guy Payne for his outstanding contribution in positioning and developing Biesterfeld in the UK and in Ireland in the last 20 years,” Stephan Glander, CEO of Biesterfeld, commented.