New Delhi: WhatsApp has announced the appointment of Cred founder Kunal Shah as its new global chief, marking a major leadership change at the world’s largest messaging platform.
The move will see Shah transition from leading Cred to overseeing WhatsApp’s global operations. As part of the arrangement, Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, will invest $900 million (approximately ₹8,550 crore) in Cred, supporting the company’s future growth plans and employee stock ownership programme (ESOP) buybacks.
During his tenure at Cred, Shah helped build one of India’s leading fintech platforms, expanding its reach among credit card users and affluent consumers across the country.
Commenting on the transition, Shah said there remains significant untapped potential for WhatsApp despite its massive global user base of more than three billion people. He indicated that a key focus of his leadership would be exploring new growth and monetisation opportunities for the platform.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg praised Shah’s entrepreneurial track record, describing him as a technology builder with a strong global perspective and experience in scaling successful businesses.
Outgoing WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart, who led the platform for seven years, will remain with Meta in a different capacity. During his tenure, Cathcart was widely recognized for championing end-to-end encryption and strengthening user privacy protections.
Before founding Cred, Shah launched several successful ventures, including FreeCharge, which was acquired by Snapdeal in 2015. He has also emerged as a prominent angel investor in India’s startup ecosystem, backing companies across fintech and technology sectors.
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