WhatsApp to be led by Indian startup founder as Will Cathcart steps down
Will Cathcart is stepping down after nearly seven years at the helm of WhatsApp, with Indian technology entrepreneur Kunal Shah set to take over the messaging platform, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The leadership change comes as WhatsApp serves more than three billion people worldwide.
During Cathcart’s tenure, end-to-end encrypted messaging was expanded to group chats, companion devices and other WhatsApp services. The platform also strengthened its focus on private communication and the protection of users’ privacy.
According to Cathcart, WhatsApp is currently in the strongest position in its history, making it the right moment to step back.
Kunal Shah, the founder of Indian fintech company CRED, will become WhatsApp’s next leader.
“I’m very excited to see what Kunal and our amazing team continue to build,” Cathcart wrote on his X account.
Shah founded CRED in 2018. The company operates a financial platform offering payment services, lending, insurance and other products.
Cathcart will remain at Meta in a new role focused on developing products from the ground up. The date of the leadership transition has not yet been announced.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that WhatsApp had introduced Group Message History, a feature allowing users to share up to 100 recent messages with new members of group chats.
