Andy Byron, the chief executive of New York-based tech company Astronomer, has resigned following the circulation of a video showing him hugging an employee at a Coldplay concert, according to a statement on Saturday.
The company’s board of directors has accepted Byron’s resignation and announced it will begin the search for a new CEO.
Shortly after the video went viral, purported statements from Byron began to appear online. However, Astronomer clarified in an earlier LinkedIn post that Byron “has not put out any statement” and that “reports saying otherwise are all incorrect.”
The company also addressed the misidentification of a third individual seen in the widely circulated clip in the days following its release.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Byron was seen on the venue’s “kiss cam” alongside Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer, before both moved out of view.
In its statement, Astronomer reaffirmed its core values, saying: “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.”
The company, which was founded in 2018, acknowledged the incident had elevated its public profile, stating that “awareness of our company may have changed overnight,” but emphasized its continued mission to solve complex data and artificial intelligence challenges.
On Friday, Astronomer named co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy as interim CEO.
Following the announcement, Byron’s LinkedIn profile was taken down, and his name was removed from the company’s leadership page, which now lists DeJoy as CEO. However, Byron remains listed on the website as a member of the board of directors.
