Meta Appoints Cred Founder Kunal Shah as New WhatsApp Head

Meta has announced a change in leadership for WhatsApp, appointing the founder of Indian fintech startup Cred, Kunal Shah, as the new head of the instant messaging service. He replaces Will Cathcart, who has led WhatsApp for over seven years. The announcement was made on Monday local time, with Cathcart set to transition to a new role within the company. CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that Cathcart will focus on developing new products from the ground up and emphasised that he looks forward to continuing to work closely with him. A Meta spokesperson declined to provide details on Cathcart’s new position. In a post on X, Cathcart said WhatsApp is in its strongest position ever, making it the right moment for him to step back. Meta acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for US$19 billion, and the app has since grown to serve over 3 billion monthly active users. The leadership change comes as Meta seeks to broaden its revenue streams. The company recently began rolling out subscription packages for WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, and announced plans to test new subscription services for artificial intelligence products. These efforts are intended to reduce Meta’s reliance on advertising revenue while helping to offset significant investments in AI. The new WhatsApp head, Kunal Shah, is the founder of Cred, a credit card payment platform launched in 2018 that rewards users for paying bills on time. Alongside the appointment, Meta injected US$900 million into Cred, bringing the startup’s valuation to US$4.5 billion.