Truecaller Founders Step Back, Rishit Jhunjhunwala Named New Global CEO

Alan Mamedi and Nami Zarringhalam, co-founders of the popular call-identification app Truecaller, have announced their decision to step back from daily operations, appointing Rishit Jhunjhunwala as the company’s new Global CEO. The founders, who will remain on the board and serve as advisors, expressed their confidence in Jhunjhunwala’s leadership to guide Truecaller’s future growth.

Mamedi shared the news on X, explaining, “After careful thought and planning, Nami and I have decided to step back from day-to-day operations to focus on Truecaller’s long-term strategy as board members and advisors. While we will continue to provide advice and support, we believe it is essential to have a leader at the helm who embodies our company’s core values and is prepared to lead us into the future.”

Rishit Jhunjhunwala, currently Truecaller’s Chief Product Officer and head of its Indian business, will assume his role as CEO on January 9, 2025. Jhunjhunwala has extensive experience with Truecaller, having spent seven years in Stockholm and three years leading its Indian operations. Mamedi and Zarringhalam will stay on as advisors until June 30, 2025, to support a smooth transition.

Founded in 2009 in Stockholm, Truecaller was originally developed by Mamedi and Zarringhalam as students, seeking a way to identify unknown callers. Since then, the app has become a key player in caller identification, especially across emerging markets, and went public in October 2021.

Truecaller offers various features, including:

• Spam Blocking: Blocks known spam numbers and offers SMS fraud protection.
• Community-Based Spam Reporting: Real-time user reporting to combat scams and telemarketers.
• Messaging: Enables users to start conversations with unsaved numbers.

Currently boasting over 420 million active users and 1 billion downloads, Truecaller has blocked over 46 billion spam calls to date. Reflecting on the company's global reach, Mamedi recently shared his pride: “We are approaching half a billion users, and I am convinced we can reach one billion users within a few years. We are one of the very few companies globally whose product has managed to attract hundreds of millions of people. By doing that we have put Sweden on the world map, that accomplishment is something my co-founder Nami and I are incredibly proud of“.