Brinkmann joined Dow in 1992. Throughout his career he held various roles in marketing, sales, and business management for a number of businesses, such as Chemicals, Specialty Chemicals, Basic Plastics, and Performance Products, in Germany, Switzerland and the USA. In 2005, Brinkmann was named Regional Commercial Director for Basic Plastics in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and moved to Schwalbach, Germany. Additionally, he served as General Manager for Dow Austria GmbH and Managing Director for Dow Deutschland Anlagengesellschaft mbH.

Externally, he represented Dow in a number of advisory boards such as PlasticsEurope Germany and Beteiligungs- und Kunststoffverwertungsgesellschaft mbH (BKV). He assumed his current commercial role in 2008. The same year, he became member of the Supervisory Boards of Safechem Europe GmbH and Dow Olefinverbund GmbH in Germany.

Brinkmann holds a university degree in Business Administration from the University of Cologne, Germany.