A split-second on the “kiss cam” at a music concert just cost a CEO his job. Andy Byron, the CEO of the technology firm Astronomer, has officially stepped down after being caught on camera sharing an intimate moment with his company’s HR chief at a Coldplay concert—a moment made even more scandalous by the fact that the woman wasn’t his wife.
Astronomer confirmed the resignation in a statement on Saturday on its LinkedIn page, just days after the video took over social media.
“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 said in a statement.
“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 now-infamous clip, captured during Coldplay’s concert at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on Wednesday night, showed Byron with his arms around Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s Chief People Officer (CPO).
“Oh, look at these two,” Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin said to the crowd. Bryon and Cabot appeared cozy—until they noticed themselves on the massive stadium screen. Cabot’s jaw dropped as she spun around, covering her face in shock. Byron quickly ducked out of sight, vanishing from the frame altogether.
“Alright, come on, you’re OK,” Martin reassured, as the flustered pair scrambled to duck out of the camera’s view. “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” he quipped to the roaring crowd. Within hours, the clip went viral, and internet sleuths wasted no time linking the couple to Astronomer Inc., a New York-based tech company known for its data workflow tools.
By Friday, Byron had been placed on administrative leave. On Saturday, the company confirmed his resignation, naming co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy as interim CEO, while the board begins the search for a permanent replacement.
Notably, neither Byron nor Cabot has issued any public statements. Both of their LinkedIn profiles became inactive shortly after the video began circulating.
Who Are Andy Bryon & Kristen Cabot?
Andy Bryon
Andy Byron was the CEO of Astronomer Inc., a New York-based software company known for its data orchestration and workflow automation tools, particularly in the DataOps space. He joined Astronomer in July 2023 as the CEO. Byron had led Astronomer through a significant $93 million funding round in May 2024.
Kristin Cabot
Kristin Cabot served as a CPO at Astronomer Inc. since November 2024, and was responsible for leading the company’s human resources strategy, talent development, and organizational culture.
