WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart steps down, Kunal Shah named successor

Will Cathcart has announced he is stepping down as head of WhatsApp after nearly seven years overseeing the messaging platform’s growth to more than three billion users worldwide.

Cathcart disclosed the decision in social media posts on Monday, saying WhatsApp was in “the strongest position it’s ever been” and that it “felt like the right moment to step back”.

Despite leaving the role, Cathcart will remain within Meta’s leadership structure. Meta has appointed Kunal Shah, founder of Indian fintech company Cred, to lead WhatsApp.

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg praised the incoming WhatsApp boss, saying Shah had created “one of India’s most important technology companies” through Cred.

He added that the entrepreneur “brings the kind of builder mentality and global perspective that will serve him well in running the world’s biggest messaging app”.

“I look forward to working with Kunal to continue to make WhatsApp the best service for billions of people and millions of businesses,” Zuckerberg said.

Founded in Bengaluru, Cred has sought to shake up India’s payments sector through a members-only model that rewards customers for making timely credit card payments.

Before launching Cred in 2018, Shah worked as an investor and adviser to several start-ups across India and Southeast Asia, according to his LinkedIn profile.

In a post on Monday, Shah said he would retain his stake in Cred while assuming his new responsibilities at WhatsApp. He also revealed that the company had secured $900 million (£679 million) in funding from Meta.

According to Bloomberg, the investment gives Meta a 20% stake in the fintech company.

Shah stressed that although Meta would become a minority investor in Cred, the social media giant would have “no access to member data”.

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