CRED founder Kunal Shah to become global CEO of WhatsApp

Kunal Shah, the founder of CRED, is set to take charge of WhatsApp globally, which would be one of the most high-profile leadership moves involving an Indian entrepreneur in the technology industry. Meta has announced that Shah will become the next Head of WhatsApp, succeeding Will Cathcart, who has led the messaging platform since 2019. The appointment comes at a time when WhatsApp has become much more than a messaging app. With over three billion users worldwide and growing businesses around payments, business messaging and AI-powered features, the platform is entering a new phase of expansion. Meta believes Shah's experience as a founder and product builder makes him the right person to lead that journey.

According to Meta, Shah brings a strong understanding of how people use WhatsApp in their daily lives, along with a fresh perspective from outside the company. India, WhatsApp's largest market, has also become one of the app's most important regions for business messaging and payments, two areas that are expected to play a major role



in its future growth. Announcing the appointment, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg praised Shah's track record as an entrepreneur.

"Kunal Shah will join Meta as WhatsApp's next leader. Kunal built CRED into one of India's most important technology companies, and he 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."

Meta Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said Shah was selected because of his understanding of products and his long-standing views on how WhatsApp can become more useful for people around the world.

"I'm excited to welcome Kunal Shah as WhatsApp's next leader. He is one of India's most respected entrepreneurs and a prolific voice for how the apps we build make a positive difference in people's lives. We are fortunate to have him guide WhatsApp through this next era," Cox said.