Andy Byron, the chief executive officer of New York-based data technology firm Astronomer, has officially resigned following the circulation of a viral video that showed him embracing a colleague at a Coldplay concert. The company’s board of directors accepted his resignation and has named Pete DeJoy, Astronomer’s co-founder and chief product officer, as interim CEO, the company confirmed in a statement shared with CNN on Saturday.

This sudden leadership shakeup comes as Astronomer, a company founded in 2018 and known for its work in data operations and artificial intelligence infrastructure, faces a wave of public scrutiny and internal challenges stemming from the incident.

The Viral Moment: A Coldplay Concert Turns Into a Corporate Crisis

The now-infamous clip, which first began circulating online earlier this week, was captured during Coldplay’s concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. In the video, Byron is seen on the venue’s “kiss cam” alongside Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief People Officer, in a visibly close and personal moment.

Both executives appeared to quickly duck out of view once they noticed they had been projected on the stadium’s massive screen. While the video is brief—lasting just under 15 seconds—it quickly spread across social media platforms, especially TikTok, where users began speculating about the nature of their relationship.

Though no explicit interaction is caught on camera, the embrace, proximity, and apparent familiarity between the two sparked intense online discussion, with many users questioning the appropriateness of such conduct between high-level executives at the same company—particularly within the sensitive domain of human resources.

Misinformation and Company Clarifications

In the immediate aftermath, alleged statements attributed to Byron began circulating on various social media platforms, including posts suggesting that the CEO had acknowledged the incident and was “stepping away to reflect.”

However, Astronomer swiftly moved to clarify the situation.

In an official statement released on LinkedIn, the company said:

“Andy Byron has not put out any statement. Reports saying otherwise are all incorrect.”

The post also addressed the growing wave of misinformation, including the misidentification of a third individual who appeared in the viral clip. The company urged the public and media outlets to rely on verified sources for updates regarding the matter.

Company’s Response: Accountability Over Optics

By Saturday, Astronomer confirmed that Andy Byron had formally stepped down from his role as CEO. The company emphasized that its decision was rooted in upholding the values and culture that have defined Astronomer since its founding.

“Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,” the company’s statement read.

Astronomer acknowledged that the video’s widespread attention may have altered public perception of the company “overnight,” but reiterated its commitment to its mission of helping organizations solve complex data and artificial intelligence challenges.

Leadership Transition: Pete DeJoy Steps In as Interim CEO

As part of the company’s leadership transition, Pete DeJoy, Astronomer’s co-founder and current chief product officer, has been appointed interim CEO. DeJoy has played a foundational role in the company’s product vision and has been involved in its strategic growth since its early days.

His appointment is intended to bring stability to the company while the board conducts a search for Byron’s permanent replacement.

The company has not yet shared whether it will seek an external candidate or promote internally to fill the CEO role long-term.

Digital Disappearance: Byron’s Online Footprint Wiped

In the hours following the announcement, significant changes were observed across the company’s digital channels.

Andy Byron’s LinkedIn profile was made private and later appeared to be taken offline altogether.

His name and biography were removed from Astronomer’s leadership page, replaced by updated listings that now show Pete DeJoy as acting CEO.

As of Saturday, Byron was still listed on Astronomer’s board of directors, although the company has not commented on whether he will retain that seat moving forward.

Internal Culture and HR Ethics Now Under Scrutiny

The presence of Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s Chief People Officer, in the video has fueled deeper conversations around ethics, power dynamics, and transparency in workplace leadership.

As the head of human resources and the architect of many of the company’s internal culture initiatives, Cabot’s role in the incident raises complex questions about HR accountability and executive boundaries. As of this writing, she remains employed at the company. However, neither Cabot nor Astronomer have commented on her status or whether any internal investigations are underway.

Some HR experts suggest that the situation underscores the growing need for clearer governance structures and third-party oversight, particularly in fast-scaling tech companies where close-knit executive relationships can blur professional lines.

Broader Implications: A Case Study in Corporate Reputational Risk

The incident has sparked widespread discussion across business forums, LinkedIn threads, and HR networks, with many calling it a “textbook case” of reputation risk management in the digital era.

Though the video showed no policy violation on the surface, the optics of a CEO and HR chief sharing a close moment in public—amid an age of increasing scrutiny on executive behavior—was enough to trigger decisive action from Astronomer’s board.

Observers have noted that Byron’s resignation appears to be less about the event itself and more about how such moments are interpreted and magnified in a hyper-connected environment.

As one analyst noted on Twitter:

“You don’t need a scandal anymore. You just need a camera, a caption, and a lack of plausible deniability.”

What’s Next for Astronomer?

Astronomer is at a pivotal juncture. As a leading name in data orchestration and a partner to major AI-driven enterprises, the company cannot afford prolonged reputational damage.

While Pete DeJoy’s appointment as interim CEO offers short-term continuity, the company must now navigate:

Internal morale and trust rebuilding

Transparent communication with clients and partners

Possible organizational restructuring within its People & Culture department

Astronomer’s brand—until now, mostly associated with backend data pipelines and Apache Airflow—has found itself in the public spotlight. The coming weeks will test not just its technology, but its resilience, leadership, and values.

Final Takeaway: Conduct, Culture, and the Cost of a Moment

Andy Byron’s resignation is more than a headline—it’s a lesson. In today’s corporate landscape, leadership is not just about strategy or scale; it’s about perception, integrity, and behavior both on and off the clock.

Astronomer acted swiftly. But in doing so, it joined a growing list of tech firms learning that even a moment of poor judgment—captured, uploaded, and shared—can spark an organizational reckoning.