Meta's Sandhya Devanathan welcomes Kunal Shah, hails Will Cathcart for his leadership

Meta Platforms has appointed CRED founder Kunal Shah as the new head of WhatsApp

by e4m Desk
Published: Jun 25, 2026 7:24 PM | 2 min read

Kunal Shah has been appointed as the new Head of WhatsApp, succeeding Will Cathcart, who is stepping down after seven years in the role.
Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President & Head of India and South East Asia at Meta, praised Shah's experience as a founder and investor in Indian startups, highlighting his ability to build trust in products.
Devanathan emphasized WhatsApp's significance, noting its use by over 3 billion people globally and its role in connecting families, supporting small businesses, and fostering community engagement.
She also expressed gratitude to Will Cathcart for his leadership and contributions in developing WhatsApp into a widely trusted service.

Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President & Head - India and South East Asia at Meta, welcomed Kunal Shah to his new role at WhatsApp and Meta, calling him a leader who understands how to build products that earn people's trust.

Shah has been named the new Head of WhatsApp. He will take over from Will Cathcart who will step down from his post after 7 years leading the app.

In a LinkedIn post, Devanathan said Shah's long experience as a founder and investor in Indian startups, along with his feedback over the years on improving WhatsApp, makes him well-suited to lead the platform's next phase of growth. "Welcome Kunal Shah to WhatsApp and to Meta! Kunal has built companies and invested in Indian entrepreneurs for a long time, which makes him somebody who truly understands what it means to build products that earn people's trust. And, over the years, I've been lucky to see this first hand with his feedback on all the ways we could continue to improve WhatsApp", the LinkedIn post read.

Highlighting WhatsApp's scale and importance, Devanathan said the messaging platform is used by more than 3 billion people globally and serves as a lifeline for hundreds of millions of Indians. She noted that WhatsApp plays a key role in helping families stay connected, enabling small businesses to reach customers, and bringing communities together. She added that Shah's understanding of technology's impact in India makes his appointment an exciting development for the company.

Devanathan also thanked outgoing WhatsApp Head Will Cathcart for his role in building the platform into a service trusted by billions worldwide. She described him as a mentor who inspired her through his people-first leadership and passion for WhatsApp.