A viral incident involving Astronomer’s former CEO, Andy Byron, and Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, has led to significant changes within the company. The experience was shared at a Coldplay concert. A short video showing the two of them hugging each other across the jumbo screen ignited a media storm and garnered millions of views on social media. In light of the incident, Byron has stepped down from his role, and Cabot has fired Cabot.
The viral cell phone video of the incident made the entire world pay attention to what happened. In a cringe-inducing display, both Byron and Cabot abruptly dropped down and scurried off camera. This public display ignited speculation about their relationship, with Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin humorously commenting, “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”
In response to the backlash over the incident, Astronomer promised a third-party investigation into Byron’s behavior. He was then immediately put on leave as the company prepared its own investigation. After this ongoing chaos, Kristin Cabot’s exit was announced in a joint statement with the BBC.
Since then, co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy has stepped in as interim CEO. He addressed the situation, stating, “The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies – let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world – ever encounter.” DeJoy stressed the brand new company’s “commitment to stay building something great,” despite those challenges.
The fallout from this unfortunate incident is a testament to the fierce spotlight that often follows the most high-profile showcasing of a public figure.