Meta's WhatsApp gets a fresh leadership push

WhatsApp is moving the needle again. Meta is reshuffling its messaging product team, with Kunal Shah — the founder of PhonePe and Paytm — stepping into a key role tied to WhatsApp's future. The change was announced Tuesday by CNBC, and it's part of a broader effort to give the billion-user app more direction.

The reshuffle comes at a moment when WhatsApp is trying to balance its old strengths — messaging, payments in emerging markets — with newer ambitions around business tools and ads. Will Cathcart, a former Meta COO, is also part of the equation, and the company is positioning the app as more than just a chat tool.

Shah has a track record of building products that actually work at scale. PhonePe turned into one of India's largest payment apps; Paytm did the same in its market. Now he's bringing that muscle to WhatsApp, which has been quietly building out its own financial and merchant ecosystem for years.

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