Here is what Mark and Chris had to say:
Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta
"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."
Chris Cox, Chief Product Officer at Meta
"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."
And in Kunal's own words
"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."
Will led WhatsApp through its most consequential period of growth, scaling end-to-end encrypted messaging to more than three billion people, including over 100 million in the United States, making private communication the default for much of the world.
He grew WhatsApp into multiple multi-billion-dollar businesses and expanded the app well beyond one-to-one chats, adding Communities to help groups to better organize their chats and Channels to let people follow the people and organizations they care about the most.
Recently, WhatsApp introduced new private AI features that bring the benefits of AI to people without compromising the privacy of their messages. Will has been a steadfast champion of privacy, defending people's right to a private conversation around the world, standing up to governments seeking backdoors, defeating attempts by spyware companies to attack users, and taking NSO Group to court and winning.
Will Cathcart on Threads and X
"WhatsApp is in the strongest position it's ever been. That felt like the right moment to step back. I'm very excited to see what Kunal and our amazing team continue to build."
Kunal Shah is a Serial Entrepreneur, Angel Investor and Fintech Founder.
He founded CRED, a fintech platform with a mission to catalyse financial progress for creditworthy Indians with 17 million monthly active users. His previous startup, FreeCharge, pioneered online payments in India over a decade ago.
Kunal champions the startup and financial services ecosystem in India through angel investments, advisory positions, and positions in influential industry organisations. He is India’s most prolific angel investor, with investments in over 250 startups including leading unicorns, and actively mentors hundreds of founders.
He has been an advisor to Sequoia Capital India [now Peak XV], Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd [publisher of The Times of India and the Economic Times], and was on the board of Pine Labs [a large Indian fintech]. Kunal has also served as chairman of the Internet and Mobile Association of India, the apex body for Indian internet companies.
