Tech CEO Andy Byron has resigned after the ‘kiss cam’ footage from a recent Coldplay concert went viral, with Astronomer confirming leadership standards weren’t met.
It was the kiss cam that birthed a thousand memes, and now the saga continues: Astronomer CEO Andy Byron has officially resigned after footage of him embracing a colleague at a Coldplay concert went viral.
The New York-based tech firm confirmed Byron’s departure in a statement: “Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
Astronomer co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy will step in as interim CEO while the company searches for Byron’s replacement.
Byron became the internet’s new favourite topic of discussion over the weekend after he and Astronomer’s chief people officer, Kristen Cabot, were filmed on the big screen during Coldplay’s Massachusetts show. The pair were seen with their arms around each other when the camera landed on them, leading Cabot to cover her face and Byron to dramatically drop to the ground in embarrassment.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, narrating the scene live, quipped: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
The Coldplay clip quickly spread across social media, sparking speculation about the pair’s relationship and their professionalism. Online sleuths soon identified the duo, prompting Astronomer to release a statement saying any social media posts attributed to Byron were fabricated. The company also confirmed an internal review was underway.
The day after the video went viral, Astronomer placed Byron on leave. Now, just days later, his resignation has been accepted.
The company has not provided details on whether Cabot will also face disciplinary action for the incident.
While at the centre of the story is a very serious situation of potential workplace misconduct, alleged cheating, and someone leaving their (likely) very well paid job, I think it’s only fair we take a look at some of the top-notch posts about it doing the rounds online. Thank you, Coldplay – you made my winter weekend at home deeply entertaining.
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