Directorate Change

Kooth

19/05/2026 07:00

RNS Number : 7982E

Kooth PLC

19 May 2026

 

19 May 2026

 

Kooth Plc

("Kooth", the "Company" or the "Group")

 

Directorate Change

 

Kooth (AIM: KOO), a leading provider of digital mental health services, is pleased to announce the appointment of James A. Polo as an independent Non-Executive Director with immediate effect.

 

James A. Polo brings over 25 years of experience across provider, payer and government sectors in the United States, combining distinguished clinical expertise as a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist with extensive corporate leadership in behavioural health strategy and operations. James currently serves as Chief Medical Officer for United Healthcare of Washington state, where he supports in aligning strategy, operations and performance across the Washington Medicaid plan. Previously, he served as Chief Medical Officer at Carelon Behavioral Health, part of Elevance Health, where he led the national behavioural health strategy across all 50 states for approximately 96 million members. Prior to this, James held senior roles at Cambia Health Solutions, including Chief Medical Officer for the Oregon market.

 

James has maintained active clinical practice throughout his career as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, with extensive experience in paediatric mental health delivery networks. James holds numerous leadership positions, including governance roles with the American Psychiatric Association.

 

Kate Newhouse, CEO of Kooth, said:

"We are delighted to welcome James to the Board as a Non-Executive Director. James brings exceptional expertise in behavioural health, combining deep clinical experience as a child and adolescent psychiatrist with extensive corporate leadership across the complex US healthcare landscape. His understanding of payer dynamics, Medicaid systems and government policy, alongside his passion for early intervention and technology-enabled solutions for young people, aligns perfectly with Kooth's mission and growth strategy. His insights will strengthen our Board as we continue to expand our presence in the United States."

 

Enquiries:

 

Kooth plc
investorrelations@kooth.com
Peter Whiting, Chairman
Kate Newhouse, CEO
Sanjay Jawa, CFO
Stifel, Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker
+44 (0) 20 7710 7600
Ben Maddison, Fred Walsh, Erik Anderson, Ben Good
Canaccord Genuity, Joint Broker
+44 (0)20 7523 8000
Simon Bridges, Harry Gooden, Elizabeth Halley-Stott
FTI Consulting, Financial PR
Kooth@fticonsulting.com
Ben Atwell, Sam Purewal, Lucy Molloy


 

About Kooth plc:

Kooth (AIM:KOO) is a global leader in digital mental and behavioural health, providing safe, effective care to over 20 million people across the UK and US. For more than 20 years, Kooth has pioneered scalable solutions that deliver immediate, direct, universal access to mental health support.

 

Our platforms - Kooth, Qwell, and Soluna - combine self-guided tools, safe peer communities, and professional therapeutic support, all clinically robust and independently accredited. Kooth holds URAC accreditation in the US and is the longest standing digital mental health provider to hold UK-wide accreditation from the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), validating our commitment to quality, safety, and accountability across both markets.

 

Independent evaluations demonstrate a £3 return for every £1 invested, with measurable reductions in emergency visits and improved clinical outcomes. Kooth is the largest single access provider for mental health support for under-18s in England according to NHS England data for 2024/25. In California, our Soluna platform is the first statewide digital behavioural health solution designed for all youth ages 13-25.

 

The Company is executing on its strategic vision through expanded reach across a diversified customer base, while seeking opportunities to enhance and extend the service offer through acquisition, partnership, and product capabilities supported by responsible AI principles.

 

 For more information, https://investors.kooth.com. 

 

Regulatory disclosures - The following disclosures are made in accordance with Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies: James Alan Polo, aged 65, holds no ordinary shares or options in the Company. James's current and previous directorships are as follows:

 

Current Directorships
Previous Directorships (last 5 years)
Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Paediatrics
James A. Polo MD PLLC
Kathleen B. Polo MD PLLC
Harbor Stones Marina, LLC
Fora Health, Inc.

 

Save for the disclosures above, there are no further disclosures to be made in accordance with Rule 17 and Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules.

 

 

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