Astronomer CEO steps down after viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' clip, company confirms
Andy Byron, the CEO of tech company Astronomer, has stepped down in the wake of a viral video that sparked online speculation and scrutiny, according to the company's LinkedIn page.
The company said Friday that Byron had been placed on leave following a viral video taken at a Coldplay concert in Boston.
"As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding," the statement posted on Saturday read. "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," the statement continued. "The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO."
The statement concluded, "We’re continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems."
Astronomer, a data company headquartered in New York, said on LinkedIn late Friday that Byron was no longer actively leading the company.
The move follows a statement issued earlier Friday announcing that its board of directors had launched a formal investigation into the incident captured on camera during a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Boston on July 16.
A clip from the concert, which quickly gained traction on social media, shows a man and a woman embracing on the stadium's jumbotron before suddenly ducking out of frame after noticing they were on screen. Online users soon identified the man as Byron, though he has not publicly commented on the matter.
"Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding," the company wrote in its initial statement. "Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability."
The company said it would provide additional updates as appropriate in the coming days.
