Tech CEO Andy Byron has stepped down from his role after a video of him embracing his company’s chief people officer, Kristen Cabot, at a Coldplay concert went viral.
“Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted,” Astronomer declared in a statement.
The company announced that co-founder Pete DeJoy will serve as interim CEO while a search for a new chief executive begins.
Andy Byron became the subject of online buzz after he and Cabot were caught on camera at a Massachusetts Coldplay concert. The pair were filmed with their arms around each other by the event crew, and the footage was projected on the venue’s big screens. The moment quickly turned awkward as Cabot covered her face and Andy Byron dropped to the floor in embarrassment.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin jokingly commented during the show, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
Astronomer, a New York-based company known for its work in the DataOps space, addressed the incident directly in its statement.
“Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space,” the company said. “While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not.”
The viral clip was captured by concertgoer Grace Springer and posted to TikTok under her handle @instaagrace, where it has since amassed over 100 million views.
