By Issa Hussein - Reporter
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Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has announced that WhatsApp head Will Cathcart will step down from his role after seven years leading the world's largest messaging platform.
In a statement, Zuckerberg praised Cathcart's leadership, crediting him with helping grow WhatsApp's global user base to more than three billion people while championing privacy and security across the platform.
“Will's been one of Meta's most important and effective leaders, helping to bring WhatsApp to over 3 billion people and championing privacy for our community,” Zuckerberg said.
Cathcart will remain within Meta, taking on a new role focused on developing products from the ground up. Zuckerberg said he looks forward to continuing to work closely with him in his new capacity.
Meta also announced the appointment of Indian entrepreneur Kunal Shah as the next head of WhatsApp.
Shah is the founder of CRED, one of India's leading financial technology companies, and is widely recognized for his contributions to the country's technology and startup ecosystem.
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According to Zuckerberg, Shah's experience in building and scaling technology products, coupled with his global outlook, makes him well suited to lead WhatsApp into its next phase of growth.
“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,” Zuckerberg said.
WhatsApp remains one of Meta's flagship platforms and plays a central role in the company's communications ecosystem, serving billions of users and millions of businesses worldwide.
Shah is expected to oversee the platform's continued expansion, innovation and business growth while maintaining WhatsApp's focus on privacy, reliability and user experience.
The leadership transition comes as Meta continues to invest heavily in messaging services, digital commerce and artificial intelligence, areas expected to shape the future development of WhatsApp and other products across the company's portfolio.