Unicef has appointed its first female chair as TV executive Ilse Howling takes over from David Stanton.

Women at present make up just one-third of the trustees at the top 100 charities in the UK, and with this appointment occupy only 15 per cent of chair positions in those charities. With half of its board now female, Unicef is among the 20 best-performing top-100 charities in terms of trustee gender balance.

Howling replaces Stanton after the latter spent nine years in the role. The new chair was part of the founding team at TV provider Freeview and became its managing director in 2005, after spending 15 years at the BBC and leading its digital marketing function.

Her media experience has recommended her to Unicef, which has indicated it intends to increase its focus on digital media.

Announcing Howling’s appointment, Unicef president Lord Ashdown said: “We are all looking forward to working closely with Ilse, particularly as Unicef UK strives to become a truly ‘digital first’ organisation across our work on fundraising and advocacy to improve the lives of the world's children.”

Commenting on her new role, Howling said: "As a working parent, I understand how important it is to focus on the needs of children, and the challenges many children face.”