Nov 22 (Reuters) - Financial advisory firm Rothschild & Co said it has appointed Simon Thompson, former chairman of mining giant Rio Tinto Plc , as its senior adviser.

Thompson, who has also served as chairman at Africa-focused Tullow Oil and private equity company 3i Group, will take over the role at Rothschild from Dec. 1.

He will focus on the development of its global mining and natural resources segment and its investor advisory business, the company said in a statement dated Nov. 21.

"He (Thompson) is an experienced and thoughtful adviser, and his guidance will be of immense value to our Global Advisory clients as they navigate today's challenging business environment," said Robert Leitão, managing partner of Rothschild & Co. (Reporting by Amna Karimi in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)