Will Cathcart, who led WhatsApp for seven years, is stepping down from his role as Meta appoints Kunal Shah, founder of Indian fintech startup Cred, to take over. While at the helm, Cathcart oversaw major changes including encrypted chat backups and the expansion to iPad.

Kunal Shah will step down from his role at Cred to lead WhatsApp, bringing with him a $900 million investment in the startup and a 20 percent stake for Meta, as reported by Bloomberg. Zuckerberg praised Shah’s builder mentality and global perspective, stating that he is well-suited to run the world's biggest messaging app.

Shah will be tasked with leading WhatsApp through further expansions and innovations, while Cathcart will take on a new role within Meta. Cathcart introduced encrypted chat backups in 2021 and guided WhatsApp as it expanded to iPad, added ads, and integrated private chats with Meta’s AI chatbot.

With this move, the tech landscape is set for more integration between financial services and messaging apps, potentially reshaping how we communicate and manage our finances.