Astronomer Announces Final Andy Byron Decision After Kristin Cabot Video
On Friday, July 18 Astronomer, a private data infrastructure startup that achieved 'unicorn' status in 2022 with a $1 billion or more valuation that currently stands at $1.3 billion, announced CEO Andy Byron was placed on leave following his actions at a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium.
"Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave," a statement from the company read. The decision came after Byron was spotted hugging a woman, later identified as Kristin Cabot.
Once they noticed they were being seen on camera, the two immediately darted in opposite directions as lead singer Chris Martin suggested the two were either shy or having an affair. Byron gushed about Cabot when hiring the human resources executive at Astronomer.
“Kristin’s exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory,” Byron previously said of Cabot. “She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer.”
Not long after Astronomer placed Byron on leave did the CEO make a final decision on his place in the company: he tendered his resignation.
"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," Astronomer said in a statement before revealing the news.
"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 $1 billion company said.
Following a tumultuous week, Astronomer is looking to get back to its roots and avoid further fanfare.
"Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI," the company said in its statement. "While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not. We’re continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems."
Astronomer did not comment on Cabot's status in the company.
Related: New Video Reveals Chris Martin's Warning Before Andy Byron, Kristin Cabot Were Caught