Former Slaughter and May executive partner Graham White has been appointed to the board of diversity recruitment company company Rare.

White will take up a non-executive position on Rare's board alongside four other non-executive directors including former Financial Times chairman David Bell and former Unisys general counsel and board member Sandra Teichman.

The board operates alongside an advisory board, of which former Simmons & Simmons senior partner Bill Knight is a member.

White (pictured) said: "Of all the organisations I worked with at Slaughter and May to broaden the intake at the firm, Rare was both the most efficient and the one that best understood what law firms are looking for.

"In joining Rare's board I hope to use my experience in management and recruitment at Slaughter and May to help Rare become even more successful."

White retired after stepping down from the role of executive partner at the elite firm earlier this year, where he had worked for 35 years. He was made up as partner in 1987 and also held a position as the firm's graduate recruitment partner during his time there.

White, who was appointed to the executive partner role in 2008, was succeeded by disputes partner Richard Clark in the role at the end of April.

The news comes as Ashurst is the latest firm to join Rare's client list after signing up to work with the agency in the summer. Rare also works with Allen and Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hogan Lovells, Shearman & Sterling, Slaughters and Travers Smith. It also comprises banks and corporates including Lloyds, UBS, Barclays, Google and L'Oreal.