Andy Byron has resigned as CEO of AI company Astronomer, days after a viral video showed him and the company’s HR chief, Kristin Cabot, on a stadium ‘kiss cam’ during a Coldplay concert near Boston.
The video, which captured the pair appearing to dodge the camera while closely embracing, triggered widespread speculation online, including rumours of an extramarital relationship.
Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin, confused by the moment, remarked, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.” The incident quickly gained attention across social media.
In a statement released Saturday, Astronomer confirmed Byron’s resignation: “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met. Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.”
Earlier in the week, the company said Byron had been placed on leave and an interim CEO was appointed. Astronomer also clarified that contrary to online claims, the woman in the video was not Vice President of Human Resources Alyssa Stoddard.
The company stated it remains committed to its core values and has initiated an internal review of the incident.
ANDY BYRON-KRISTIN CABOT SCANDAL
US-based AI company Astronomer found itself at the centre of online attention after an incident involving its CEO, Andy Byron, went viral. During a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Byron was caught on the kiss cam hugging the company’s Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot.
The pair were shown on the stadium’s big screen before quickly ducking out of view. The video quickly went viral and was watched millions of times on social media.
Soon after, they were identified as Byron, who is married to marketing professional Megan Kerrigan, and Cabot, who is married to Andrew Cabot, the CEO of Privateer Rum. The video sparked widespread speculation and led to both executives being placed on administrative leave by the company pending an internal review.
ALL ABOUT ANDY BYRON & KRISTIN CABOT
Andy Byron had been leading Astronomer as CEO since July 2023. The New York-based software firm is known for its flagship platform, Astro, which helps businesses manage data workflows using Apache Airflow.
Kristin Cabot joined Astronomer in November 2024 as Chief People Officer, overseeing the company’s HR operations, including employee engagement, workplace culture, and career development.
Despite the buzz surrounding their recent public appearance, neither Byron nor Cabot has made any public comment on the viral video.
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