THE new boss of Astronomer has broken his silence after taking over from CEO Andy Byron who resigned in the kiss cam “cheating” scandal.
Byron and his rumored companion, Kristin Cabot, found themselves unexpectedly displayed on a large screen, their smiling faces projected to an audience of 55,000 at Boston’s Gillette Stadium.
After the event sparked widespread attention, Pete DeJoy assumed the position, remarking that the unusual viral incident attracted “a level of media focus that few enterprises – particularly startups in our niche of data and AI – typically experience.”
On LinkedIn, he expressed: “The attention has been strange and extraordinary for our team, and although I would never have chosen for it to unfold this way, Astronomer has now gained significant recognition.”
DeJoy added that despite the chaos, the company has “never shied away from challenges” – from the Covid-19 pandemic to navigating financial issues.
He continued: “And yet, we’re still here.
“We’re here because Astronomer is built by people who live to solve hard problems, stay late to fix what’s broken, and care deeply about doing things the right way.
“We’re here because our customers trust us with their most ambitious data & AI projects. And, most importantly, we’re here because the mission is bigger than any one moment.”
Byron had been CEO of Astronomer – valued at over $1.3billion – since July 2023.
In a statement announcing his departure, the firm said: “Our leaders are expected to set the standard… and recently, that standard was not met.”
Cabot, listed as Chief People Officer, was placed on leave.
Before the viral moment, Byron had praised her as a “proven leader” with “deep expertise in talent management”.
Cabot previously boasted on her LinkedIn profile that she “wins trust with employees of all levels, from CEOs to managers to assistants.”
According to Axios, both execs were being investigated internally, and Byron was said to be negotiating an exit package.
Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.
Meanwhile, Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, has scrubbed his surname from social media and deleted her accounts entirely.
The chaos has rippled through Astronomer, with employees and ex-staffers reacting with glee and disbelief.
“Group chats were blowing up,” one former colleague told the New York Post.
“People were laughing their a** off.”
The executive was described as a “sales-obsessed” leader with a reportedly “toxic” management style.
Social media has also been flooded with memes and fake statements from Byron and Coldplay.
A fake post attributed to Coldplay suggested they would introduce “camera-free zones” for concertgoers with “sidepieces”.
The fan who captured the original kiss cam moment told The U.S. Sun she had no idea the couple were senior tech executives.
She said: “I just thought I caught an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to post it. A part of me feels bad… but, play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
