Andy Byron, CEO of data operations startup Astronomer, has resigned following a viral scandal involving Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot. The incident began when the two, who are coworkers, appeared on a “kiss cam” at a Coldplay concert, with Byron — who is married — seen with his arms around Cabot. The moment went viral after singer Chris Martin joked, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” prompting intense media coverage and public backlash.
In just 24 hours, over 22,000 news articles were published about the incident, with 9,000 focused specifically on Byron. Amid the fallout, both Byron and Cabot were placed on leave.
Astronomer, which recently secured $93 million in Series D funding, has since confirmed Byron’s resignation. A company spokesperson told Page Six, “Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.”
The company added, “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.” Despite the controversy, Astronomer emphasized that its mission and customer commitments remain unchanged.