Banker Ian Marcus has been appointed chair of the Prince's Regeneration Trust, which focuses on heritage-led regeneration.

Mr Marcus, 49, is chairman of Credit Suisse's European real-estate investment banking division.

He tells People: "It's a great honour to be asked to chair the trust. The real-estate industry has better appreciated in recent years the importance of sustainable development and the need to focus on regenerating our built environment.

"I hope that despite the challenging times we are experiencing in the property sector and the economy, this does not result in us ignoring our responsibilities to the environment and our heritage."

His new role is to represent the trust at external events and provide support for the executive team, in addition to increasing awareness among those involved in the property sector of the work of the Trust.

Mr Marcus is the former president of the British Property Federation and past chair of the Investment Forum and Bank of England property forum. He lives in Stanmore, Middlesex and is a member of Stanmore and Canons Park synagogue.