WhatsApp’s chief business officer has become the latest executive to confirm they are leaving the messaging platform following the departure of both co-founders in just over a year.
Neeraj Arora said in a Facebook post that he was “taking some time off to recharge and spend time with family”.
Time flies for sure but not memories. It is hard to believe that it has been seven years since Jan and Brian got me…Posted by Neeraj Arora on Monday, November 26, 2018
His announcement is the latest in a growing list of key executives departing tech firms owned by Facebook – WhatsApp co-founders Brian Acton and Jan Koum have both left in the last 14 months, while Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Kreiger announced they would be leaving the social media platform in September.
There were reports at the time that suggested Systrom and Krieger’s departure was the result of increased Facebook influence at how Instagram operated.
In his leaving post, Arora paid tribute to WhatsApp founders Koum and Acton, adding that he was proud of how the messaging service had grown.
“I’ve been blessed to work with a small set of talented people and see how maniacal focus can create something magical which is loved by billions of people,” he said.
“It is time to move on, but I cannot be more proud of how WhatsApp continues to touch people in so many different ways every day.
“I am confident that WhatsApp will continue to be the simple, secure and trusted communication product for years to come.”
Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for 19 billion US dollars (£14.9 billion) and the service now has more than 1.5 billion active users.
