PRIME's new chairman Nicholas Cheffings has added two new members to the social mobility initiative's board and created an advisory committee in a revamp that is set to see PRIME focus on building longer-term contact with alumni.

Bill Drummond, managing partner of Scottish firm Brodies, has joined the board alongside Chris White, the founder of alternative social mobility programme Aspiring Solicitors.

Hogan Lovells global chair Cheffings took over from former Allen & Overy senior partner David Morley when he retired in May this year. The current overhaul marks Cheffings' first major changes to PRIME since he took up the role.

Their appointments take the number of members on the board to seven, alongside representatives from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Microsoft.

Feedback from members suggested that PRIME should have an increased focus on maintaining contact with students who go through its work experience programme, improved communication and sharing of best practice, and better marketing and promotion.

The board will be supported by the new advisory committee, which will act as a consultative body, providing input from those working in the education sector as well as students.

It comprises three teachers – Penelope Alford, headteacher at Hoe Valley School in Woking; Jamie Brownhill, headteacher of Central Foundation Boys' School in London; and Suzanne Whiston, assistant principal at New College in Leicester – as well as PRIME alumni who will rotate on a regular basis.

Commenting on the plans, Cheffings said: "PRIME has done a great job raising awareness and moving the needle. This is about taking it to the next level – delivery, execution, follow-up, more communication with membership and the student population. We want to improve the way we provide information and how they can access it, and also show that it isn't just a one-off visit to an office. The possibility of mentoring is something that is very much on our radar."

The push for mentoring is one of the reasons behind the addition of White, a former Norton Rose Fulbright corporate associate who founded Aspiring Solicitors in 2013. The initiative aims to assist all people with an interest in becoming a lawyer, with a particular focus on encouraging people from under-represented backgrounds. White secured funding for the project from 10 founder members, including Norton Rose, Barclays and LexisNexis, and won the British Legal Award for Diversity Initiative of the Year in 2014.

Meanwhile, the appointment of Drummond, who has spent almost 20 years as managing partner of leading Scottish firm Brodies, reflects an effort by PRIME to extend its focus beyond London.

PRIME was launched in 2011 by 21 law firms in conjunction with the Sutton Trust, to tackle the lack of social mobility in law by giving those from less privileged backgrounds work experience within the profession. It now has some 89 law firms signed up, some of whom have created partnerships with in-house legal departments within major banks and corporates.

PRIME board in full:

Annette Byron, real estate partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Nicholas Cheffings, global chair, Hogan Lovells Patricia Christias, head of legal UK, Microsoft Bill Drummond, managing partner Brodies Janet Legrand, litigation partner, DLA Piper Julie Randles, CEO, HE Access Network Chris White, founder, Aspiring Solicitors