Jan Koum, CEO of Whatsapp, joins Facebook board

Ukrainian-born co-founder and CEO of Whatsapp Jan Koum has joined Facebook’s board as a managing director after the tech giant bought the app for the cool price of €13.8bn in February. Having previously worked at Yahoo, Koum and his business partner Brian Acton applied, and failed to work for Facebook earlier in their careers. Koum recently made Forbes’ billionaires list with a net worth of €4.93bn.

Herbert Hainer becomes FC Bayern München’s new president

FC Bayern München has named Adidas boss Herbert Hainer as its new president following the resignation of Uli Hoeness, who was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for tax evasion in March. Adidas shares a good relationship with the club, having provided its kit for more than 50 years. The appointment capped a successful month for 59-year-old Hainer, who also signed a contract extension keeping him at Adidas until 2017.

BlaBlaCar takes on Europe

French car-sharing business BlaBlaCar is taking on Europe with expansions into the UK, Russia and Ukraine. The business was set up in 2009 after co-founder Frédéric Mazzella struggled to reach his family in the French countryside for Christmas because the trains were full. It is such a hit among travellers in Europe that it transports more people a month than Eurostar and already operates in 12 countries.

Tough year ahead for Soho China’s CEO, Zhang Xin

Zhang Xin, the business magnate and CEO of SOHO China, faces a tough year as concerns over China’s liquidity and a slowdown of the economy threaten to hurt revenues at the commercial real estate developer. SOHO China, which is the largest property firm in Beijing, reported a 33 percent rise in net profit for 2013 to €519m. Still, Zhang is preparing for a credit crunch, as commercial property is being sold below the asking price.

Mark Penn becomes Microsoft’s CSO

In a major shuffling of Microsoft’s executive ranks, Mark Penn, the former aide to the Clinton family, has been named as the company’s new CSO. In his new role, 60-year-old Penn, who has previously been an executive vice president at Microsoft overseeing advertising and strategy (a role some say he lost control of), will determine which markets the company should be in and where it should be making further investments.

Snapchat faces make-or-break year

Snapchat, the messaging start-up that famously turned down a €2.18bn acquisition offer by Facebook, is facing a make-or-break year as an ongoing rivalry with Google and concerns over user security put pressure on the firm. What’s more, a lawsuit against its founders Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy by former classmate Reggie Brown could prove costly. Brown claims to have come up with the idea for disappearing messages.