Astronomer CEO Resigns After Viral Incident at Concert

Andy Byron, the CEO of Astronomer, stepped down from his role shortly after a moment featuring him hugging the HR leader gained traction on social media during a Coldplay concert.

A message posted on X stated, “As previously mentioned, astronomers uphold the values and culture that have been integral since our inception. Our leaders are expected to exemplify conduct and accountability. Andy Byron has submitted his resignation, and the board has accepted it.”

The New York-based company announced that co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy would take over as interim CEO. Byron remains listed on the board of directors according to the company’s official website.

Byron and Chief Human Resources Officer Christine Cabot were reportedly seen engaging in a “Kiss Cam” moment at the Boston concert. Fans recorded the exchange, which quickly went viral. In the footage, Byron appears to embrace Cabot as Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, comments, “Oh, look at these two.”

Following this, Cabot covered her face with her hands, eliciting a remark from Martin, “Oh, what… they’re cheating on you, you’re so shy!”

Immediately following the viral moment, social media users speculated on the identity of the attendees, with some wrongly suggesting that fellow employee Alyssa Stoddard was involved. The company later confirmed Stoddard was not present.

In response to the fallout, Astronomer announced a formal investigation into the incident. On Saturday, they released a statement acknowledging the impact on their reputation. They emphasized, “Before this week, we were recognized as leaders in the DataOps industry, with our data team addressing everything from analytics to production AI. Though perceptions might have shifted overnight, our products and our customers’ efforts remain unchanged. We remain dedicated to assisting our clients with serious data and AI challenges.”

As of Saturday, neither Byron nor Cabot had provided a public statement.