Written by Tanisha Cardozo
In a swift and highly publicized move, Andy Byron has resigned as CEO of US-based tech company Astronomer after a video from a Coldplay concert in Boston captured him sharing a seemingly intimate moment with the company’s HR head, Kristin Cabot.
The viral clip surfaced from the concert’s Kiss Cam segment, showing Byron and Cabot briefly embracing before hurriedly separating. Their visible discomfort under the camera’s spotlight, including Byron ducking and Cabot turning away, raised eyebrows. Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin even made a cheeky remark, saying the couple was either “too shy or having an affair.”
The fallout was swift. Within 24 hours of being placed on leave, Byron tendered his resignation. Astronomer confirmed the news in a LinkedIn post:
“Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
The company also clarified that Alyssa Stoddard, a rumored third party in the video, was not present at the event. They named co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy as interim CEO.
Aside from the professional ramifications, the incident has had personal consequences. Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan, who works in school admissions, was quick to remove Byron’s surname from her Facebook profile before deactivating it.
Byron, who was appointed CEO in 2023, has not issued a public statement. However, the company emphasized that the scandal hasn’t affected their core operations or mission in the DataOps sector.
The situation has reignited conversations around workplace ethics, leadership image, and accountability, especially in high-profile corporate environments.
