Astronomer CEO Andy Byron quits after caught canoodling with head of HR on Coldplay jumbotron
Andy Byron, CEO of $1.3 billion AI company Astronomer, resigned Saturday. The resignation comes days after he and HR head Kristin Cabot were caught making out on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert near Boston.
The company’s board accepted Byron’s resignation after initially placing him and Cabot on leave while investigating the incident. 
Astronomer said in a statement Saturday:
“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.”
“Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.”
Sources say Byron chose to resign rather than be fired, likely securing a better financial exit. Byron’s pay ranged from $469K to $690K annually plus bonuses. His net worth is estimated between $50 million and $70 million.
The couple sparked viral attention when spotted dodging the kiss cam Wednesday night. Lead singer Chris Martin joked on stage, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.”
New footage from Friday showed Byron and Cabot openly embracing and kissing at the concert, escalating the fallout.
Astronomer named co-founder Pete DeJoy interim CEO and will start searching for a permanent replacement.
DeJoy jokingly “liked” a LinkedIn post about the scandal, where ex-vice president Zachary Hensley admitted, “Yes, I’ve laughed at the memes.”
The company assured customers:
“While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not.”
Astronomer was thriving before the scandal, having raised nearly $100 million recently from top investors.
Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan, removed her married name from Facebook and eventually deleted her profile amid backlash. Kristin Cabot is believed married to Andrew Cabot, Privateer Rum owner.
Both families were previously seen as stable, with recent luxury real estate purchases and family photos circulating publicly.
Cabot and Byron’s future at the company remains unclear, but Byron is officially out as CEO.
