The interim CEO of AI data operations startup Astronomer has found the silver lining after its former head and human resources director were caught canoodling at a Coldplay concert.
“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,” Interim CEO Pete DeJoy wrote in a LinkedIn post on Monday. “The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name.”
The New York-based company’s former leader, Andy Byron, and its Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, were seen embracing on a jumbo screen during a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on July 16. Both are married, and the incident resulted in a viral firestorm.
“At Astronomer we have never shied away from challenges; a near-decade of building this business has tested us time and time again, and each time we’ve emerged stronger,” DeJoy’s statement said. “From starting a software company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to keeping the lights on through the collapse of the bank that held all our cash, to scaling from 30 to 300 people during a global pandemic that demanded we do it all without ever being in the same room.”
ASTRONOMER CO-FOUNDER WEIGHS IN ON CURRENT CEO CAUGHT IN EMBARRASSING COLDPLAY ‘KISS CAM’ SCANDAL
The duo reacted with horror when they saw themselves on camera, with Cabot covering her face and turning away, and Byron ducking behind a barrier.
“Oh, look at these two,” Coldplay front man Chris Martin said jokingly to the crowd. “All right, c’mon, you’re Ok. Oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
COLDPLAY KISS CAM TRIGGERS ‘FORMAL INVESTIGATION’ INTO ASTRONOMER CEO ANDY BYRON AND HR HEAD KRISTIN CABOT
Byron resigned on Saturday.
“As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” the company wrote in a statement Saturday to Fox News. “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
Astronomer announced an internal investigation.
The company is valued at $1.3 billion and is backed by titans like Bain Capital, Salesforce and JPMorgan.
Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
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