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THE chief executive of US data company Astronomer, Andy Byron, has resigned after footage of him embracing a senior colleague on a stadium 'kiss cam' at a Coldplay concert went viral.
Byron, who headed the New York-based startup, was seen alongside Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer, on the big screen at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The incident quickly drew public attention online and led to both executives being placed on leave.
Astronomer confirmed Byron’s resignation in a statement shared with CNN on Saturday, saying the board had accepted his decision to step down and would begin the process of selecting a new chief executive.
“As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” the company said. “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
The company had earlier posted on LinkedIn to clarify that Byron had not issued a public statement despite several circulating online purporting to be from him. The post also addressed the misidentification of a third individual seen in some versions of the viral video.
Byron could not be reached for comment, and his LinkedIn profile is no longer publicly accessible. He has also been removed from Astronomer’s leadership page, though as of Sunday he remained listed as a board member on the company’s website.
Founded in 2018, Astronomer specialises in data orchestration and artificial intelligence solutions. In its statement, the company acknowledged the heightened attention the incident had brought: “Awareness of our company may have changed overnight,” it noted, “but our mission remains focused on solving data and AI challenges.”
Astronomer has appointed co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy as interim CEO. - July 20, 2025
