Meta: WhatsApp Head Steps Down

WhatsApp head Will Cathcart will step down from his role after more than seven years, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.

Meta is tapping Kunal Shah, who founded Indian fintech startup Cred, to lead WhatsApp.

Cathcart will move into another role at Meta where he'll "build new products from the ground up," Zuckerberg said.

Meta 's longtime WhatsApp leader will step down and be replaced by the founder of Indian fintech startup Cred, the company announced Monday.

Will Cathcart , who has served as the head of the WhatsApp messaging service for more than seven years, is transitioning into another role at Meta, where he'll "build new products from the ground up," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post . "I'm excited to continue to work together closely," Zuckerberg said.

A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of Cathcart's new role.

Cathcart wrote in a post on X that WhatsApp "is in the strongest position it's ever been — and that felt like the right moment to step back." Godfather of AI blasts Musk's xAI as 'failure,' says labs are risking a 'big bubble explosion' Google Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer leaves for OpenAI SpaceX adds longtime Elon Musk ally Roelof Botha to board Allbirds continues AI pivot with name change and CEO hire, sending stock soaring Meta acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion, and it's grown into one of the most popular messaging services globally, counting more than 3 billion monthly active users.

Last month, Meta began rolling out subscription plans for WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, and said it would test new subscriptions for its artificial intelligence services.

The moves could help Meta diversify its business beyond selling ads and recoup some of the costs from its heavy AI investments .

Cathcart will be succeeded by Kunal Shah, who founded Cred in 2018.

Cred is a credit card payments platform that rewards users who pay their bills on a timely basis.

Shah's "builder mentality and global perspective" made him a good fit to lead WhatsApp, Zuckerberg said.

As part of Shah's appointment, Meta is investing $900 million in Cred, the startup said in a release .

Cred is now valued at $4.5 billion post-money, according to the company.