Meta has announced that Kunal Shah, founder and CEO of CRED, will become the next head of WhatsApp. He will succeed Will Cathcart, who has led the messaging platform since 2019.
Cathcart will remain at Meta during the transition period and will help Shah take over the role. After the transition, he will move into a new position focused on developing new products within the company.
The appointment brings an external leader to WhatsApp at a time when the platform continues to expand its business messaging, payments, and utility-focused services.
Kunal Shah is one of India’s best-known technology entrepreneurs. Before launching CRED, he founded FreeCharge, one of the early digital payments platforms in India. CRED currently serves around 17 million monthly active users and offers financial services focused on high-credit customers.
According to Meta, Chief Product Officer Chris Cox approached Shah for the role. The company said Shah’s experience in building and scaling consumer-focused products played an important role in the decision.
The move also highlights India’s growing importance to WhatsApp. India remains the platform’s largest market and a key region for its business messaging and payments initiatives.
Shah takes charge after a significant period of growth under Cathcart’s leadership. Since becoming WhatsApp head in 2019, Cathcart oversaw the platform’s expansion to more than three billion users worldwide. The company also introduced new features such as Communities and Channels, expanding WhatsApp beyond traditional one-to-one messaging.
During his tenure, WhatsApp also strengthened its business messaging operations and introduced new AI-powered features. Cathcart was also known for advocating user privacy and supporting legal efforts against spyware companies while opposing requests for encryption backdoors.
Outside his roles at CRED and FreeCharge, Shah has been an active participant in India’s startup ecosystem. He has invested in more than 250 startups and has held advisory and board positions at several technology and financial services companies. He also previously served as chairman of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Shah brings a builder-focused mindset and global perspective that will help guide WhatsApp’s future growth. Chris Cox also described Shah as one of India’s most respected entrepreneurs and said he looks forward to working with him during the next phase of the platform’s development.
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