Andy Byron resigns after Coldplay incident, Astronomer names interim CEO
What's the story
Andy Byron, the CEO of data company Astronomer, has resigned from his position after a viral video from a Coldplay concert. The video showed Byron with the company's HR Head, Kristin Cabot, in an intimate moment during a Kiss Cam segment at Gillette Stadium on July 16. Following this incident, Pete DeJoy, Astronomer's co-founder and Chief Product Officer, has been appointed as the interim CEO.
Leadership transition
Board of Directors at Astronomer accept Byron's resignation
The Board of Directors at Astronomer has accepted Byron's resignation. The company announced the decision in a post on X, stating that Cabot will continue to serve as Chief People Officer despite her involvement in the incident with Byron. DeJoy, who co-founded Astronomer in 2017 and became its Chief Product Officer in February 2025, now takes over as interim CEO.
Professional journey
DeJoy has been with Astronomer since its inception
DeJoy, who holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry and physics from Bowdoin College, has been instrumental in expanding Astronomer's data orchestration platform over the past eight years. He was appointed Vice President for Product in January 2023 before being promoted to Chief Product Officer. Now that Byron has resigned, it remains to be seen if DeJoy will continue as Astronomer's permanent CEO or if a different candidate will be chosen for the role.