Meta has named Kunal Shah, the founder of Indian fintech company CRED, as the new global head of WhatsApp, effective June 22. He succeeds Will Cathcart, who led the messaging giant for nearly seven years and now moves to a product-building role within Meta.
The appointment grew out of an advisory call. Meta’s chief product officer Chris Cox initially sought Shah’s recommendations for the role, then concluded the right candidate was the one he was consulting.
Cox cited Shah’s builder mindset and scaling experience. In tandem with the hire, Meta invested $900 million in CRED for approximately a 20% stake, valuing the company at $4.5 billion. Miten Sampat will serve as interim CEO of CRED.
WhatsApp has more than 3 billion monthly active users, with India accounting for over 500 million-its largest market. Despite that reach, monetization has lagged since Meta’s $19 billion acquisition in 2014. Payments, commerce tools, and business messaging remain central to the strategy.
For investors, the question is whether Shah can accelerate WhatsApp’s revenue generation. The $900 million CRED alignment could open pathways for financial infrastructure, but execution risks loom: leading a 3-billion-user platform demands navigating regulation, encryption debates, and safety concerns while driving growth.