On Thursday, Astronomer confirmed to CNN the resignation of Kristin Cabot, its esteemed Chief People Officer. This departure follows a recent incident where Cabot, who helmed the company's human resources, and Andy Byron, the then-CEO of the New York-based tech firm, were captured in an embrace during a Coldplay concert earlier this month.
Prior to her resignation, Cabot found herself entangled in a scandal alongside Byron, who stepped down last week after being placed on administrative leave, as per an earlier statement shared with CNN. The incident unfolded on a Jumbotron screen – part of a so-called "kiss cam" – at Coldplay's concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The pair was seen sharing a tender moment before discreetly disappearing from view.
Amidst the musical revelry, Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin quipped, "Whoa, look at these two. Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy," adding fuel to the already fiery online spectacle. The video of the embrace swiftly went viral, accompanied by purported statements from the former CEO acknowledging the situation. However, Astronomer refuted these claims on LinkedIn, stating unequivocally that Byron had issued no such statements and that "reports saying otherwise are all incorrect." The statement also clarified the misidentification of a third individual visible in the viral footage.
"Astronomer remains steadfast in the values and culture that have been our guiding lights since inception. Our leaders are expected to embody the highest standards of conduct and accountability," the LinkedIn post further emphasized.
Founded in 2018, the data operations company acknowledged in a separate statement that "awareness of our company may have undergone a sudden transformation," yet it remained unwavering in its mission to tackle data and artificial intelligence challenges. In the wake of these developments, the company announced that Pete DeJoy, Astronomer's co-founder and Chief Product Officer, would assume the role of interim CEO.
Byron's LinkedIn profile has since been made private, and he has been removed from the company's leadership page, which now lists DeJoy as the CEO.
