In a major leadership transition, CRED founder Kunal Shah has been appointed as the new global head of Meta-owned WhatsApp, succeeding Will Cathcart, who is stepping down after nearly seven years at the helm of the messaging platform.
The announcement was made by Cathcart in a post on X, where he said WhatsApp is in its strongest position ever, making it the right time for him to step back from the leadership role.
Cathcart highlighted key milestones achieved during his tenure, including scaling end-to-end encrypted messaging to more than three billion users worldwide and expanding the technology across group chats, companion devices and new user experiences.
Cathcart backs Shah for next phase of growth
In his post, Cathcart praised Shah’s leadership credentials and his track record of building CRED into one of India’s leading technology companies.
“After nearly seven years leading WhatsApp, I’m excited to share who will take over the responsibility of delivering simple, reliable and private messaging for the world. WhatsApp is in the strongest position it’s ever been, and that felt like the right moment to step back,” Cathcart said.
He added that Shah’s focus on users and technology innovation makes him well-positioned to lead WhatsApp into its next phase of growth.
Shah steps back from operational role at CRED
Announcing the move on X, Shah said CRED is ready for its next chapter and that he is stepping away from day-to-day operations.
He said Miten Sampat, who has led strategy and finance at CRED since 2020, will take over as interim CEO, supported by the company’s leadership team.
Shah clarified that he will continue to remain a shareholder in CRED and that his commitment to the fintech platform remains unchanged despite the transition.
Meta to become minority investor in CRED
Shah also disclosed that Meta will become a minority investor in CRED as part of a strategic investment. He emphasised that Meta will not have access to CRED member data.
“While it’s come very far, the delta between WhatsApp today and its full potential is massive. I look forward to working with Mark, Chris, and the leadership across Meta for the next step in WhatsApp’s journey,” Shah said.
Milestone for Indian startup ecosystem
Shah’s appointment marks one of the most prominent transitions of an Indian startup founder into a global technology leadership role. Founder of both CRED and FreeCharge, Shah has been widely recognised for building consumer technology platforms focused on trust, payments and financial services.
The move also underscores Meta’s growing confidence in Indian technology talent as it charts the next phase of growth for WhatsApp, one of the world’s largest messaging platforms with more than three billion users globally.