Andy Byron, the CEO of software company Astronomer, has stepped down from his position following a viral cheating incident at a Coldplay concert, RadarOnline.com can report.
Just days after Byron was captured engaging in PDA with Kristin Cabot, the head of HR, on a jumbotron, the ramifications have rippled through social media, igniting an internet frenzy.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, July 16, at a concert near Boston, where attendees caught a glimpse of the two executives as they attempted to evade the kiss cam.
The moment drew chuckles from fellow concert-goers and even left Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, momentarily puzzled.
Calling out the pair, Martin reportedly quipped: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.” This light-hearted joke quickly added fuel to the fire as video of the incident went viral on almost every social media platform.
The fallout was swift. By Thursday morning, Byron and Cabot’s identities as members of Astronomer’s executive team had emerged, prompting the company to place Byron on leave and appoint an interim CEO.
In a statement released shortly thereafter, Astronomer expressed commitment to its values, stating: “As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
The company confirmed that Byron had formally tendered his resignation, which the Board of Directors accepted promptly. Co-founder Pete DeJoy has since stepped in as interim CEO while the search for a permanent replacement begins.
The statement continued: “Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI.
“While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not.”