Days after Astronomer CEO Andy Byron resigned following a viral video featuring the company's HR representative, Kristin Cabot, at a Coldplay concert, the Cincinnati-based tech firm's new interim boss, Pete DeJoy, said the incident thrust the company into the spotlight of an "unusual and surreal" kind.
Andy Byron, already married and father to two children, and the company's Chief People's Officer, Kristin Cabot, were caught sharing an intimate moment during Coldplay's 'Jumbotron song' segment last week.
In a detailed LinkedIn post shared after succeeding Andy Byron, Mr DeJoy said: "I would never have wished for it to happen like this, but Astronomer is now a household name."
Mr DeJoy, also a co-founder of the company, said the events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that "few companies-let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world-ever encounter".
He said that the company had never shied away from facing challenges and emerged stronger every time it was tested.
"From starting a software company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to keeping the lights on through the collapse of the bank that held all our cash, to scaling from 30 to 300 people during a global pandemic that demanded we do it all without ever being in the same room," he said.
Mr DeJoy assured the people inside and outside the company that he was assuming charge "with a wholehearted commitment" to delivering for our customers.
"To our team: thank you for your resilience & commitment to building something great. And to our community and customers: thank you for your trust. We won't let you down," he said.
On Saturday, Andy Byron resigned from the top job. The company announced his decision in a LinkedIn post, saying their "standards were not met recently".
"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. Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted," Astronomer said.
The two employees were enjoying the show when the camera was put them on giant screens, with band frontman, Chris Martin, saying they were "either too shy" or "having an affair".
In another follow-up video, he was heard saying, "Oh s**t, I hope we didn't do something bad".
The CEO's wife, Megan Kerrigan, hours after the video went viral, removed the surname "Byron" from her Facebook profile before deactivating it altogether.
