The CEO of software company Astronomer, Andy Byron, has resigned after being caught on a Jumbotron camera at a Coldplay concert with his arms around the company's head of human resources, Kristin Cabot. The incident occurred at a concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and has gone viral on social media.
Astronomer issued a statement on X, saying: '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. The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.'
The company denied rumours that another employee, Alyssa Stoddard, was present, and also denied false reports that Byron had issued an apology. 'Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video. Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect,' the company said.
Both Byron and Cabot were immediately placed on leave, according to a source familiar with the situation. Byron's resignation and exit package negotiations contributed to the company's delayed response, another source told Axios.
Byron had been CEO of Astronomer since 2023, while Cabot joined as head of HR in 2024. In an announcement about Cabot's hiring, Byron praised her 'exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement and scaling people strategies'. Cabot had said she was 'energised in my conversations with Andy and the Astronomer leadership team about the opportunities that exist here'.
