Instagram promotes Vishal Shah as Director of Product Management

Facebook has seen many executives retreating this year, including departures of co-founders of Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp, Jan Koum and Brian Acton. This has some kind of public crisis generated virtually every week,

It’s been quiet an intensive year for Facebook's leadership. Facebook Inc’s photo- and video-sharing app, Instagram said on Monday that it promoted its director of product management Vishal Shah as the head of product, effective immediately. As part of Shah’s promotion, Ashley Yuki, a product manager who oversaw video on Instagram, including IGTV, will take over Shah’s old role. 

Vishal Shah, who joined Instagram in 2015, assumed the position previously held by Adam Mosseri, who was appointed as Instagram’s head in October, following the high-profile exits of co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger in September. Vishal is an experienced manager with deep product knowledge who lives by Instagram’s values of people first, simplicity, and craft.

It could be tough that Facebook is dealing with some serious morale issues following the company’s public missteps, including an increase in employees' thinking about leaving. Instagram is struggling with some of the same morale and employee retention concerns, according to multiple current and former employees. Facebook can’t let that happen considering Instagram has become arguably the company’s most important product. The photo- and video-sharing app will soon account for a sizable part of Facebook’s revenue growth, and also drives users back to the main Facebook app. Plus, it keeps Facebook connected to younger people online, and has helped the company fend off a potential threat in Snapchat.

Many employees were shocked and saddened when Systrom and Krieger left and felt as though Facebook has taken more control over Instagram’s operations, which has added to the morale issues. The appointment of Shah comes at a time when Facebook’s core platform is under fire for how it safeguards customer data, while it defends against political efforts to spread false information. It’s possible that promoting Shah, who has been at Instagram for almost four years, instead of bringing in a new head of product from Facebook might help alleviate some of that frustration.

As the director of product management for Instagram, Shah will head consumer, business, and revenue products divisions, including search, explore, Ads, IGTV, and shopping.