Markus Ickstadt will join the board of trustees as treasurer of the John Schofield Trust this week to support the charity’s strategic development and oversee its long-term financial health.

Founder and chair Susie Schofield said: “I’m delighted Markus is joining us in the run up to our 30th anniversary year. His extensive experience in business and commercial development and the fact he’s worked closely with journalists throughout his career puts him in an excellent position to help us plan our finances so we can continue supporting early career journalists long into the future”.

Markus succeeds Jenny Clark, who has been treasurer for more than six years. “Jenny has been a rock for us – steering us in the right direction and keeping a diligent eye on our spending. She is one of the reasons we still exist today despite a difficult fundraising environment, and she’ll always be a dear friend of the Trust.”

Markus will join the trustee board for a three-year term and work closely with the staff team on the new strategy, of which financial sustainability is a core aspect. Markus currently acts as an advisor for the Thomson Foundation and Thomson Media gGmbH. He draws on over 30 years’ experience in the news business – including most recently as Director of Business Development at BBC Monitoring, and as the AP’s EMEA Director prior to that.