Astronomer CEO Resigns After Viral Kiss Cam Moment in Coldplay concert With Colleague
According to a statement posted on social media, Astronomer's board of directors accepted Byron's resignation and announced they would begin the search for a new CEO. The tech company clarified that Byron has not made any official public statement, countering widespread online claims suggesting otherwise. In fact, Astronomer previously posted on LinkedIn emphasizing that reports stating Byron addressed the matter were false, also correcting misidentification of a third individual seen in the viral video.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Byron was captured on the 'kiss cam' with Kristin Cabot, Astronomer's chief people officer. The two appeared on the screen before quickly ducking out of view.
In response, the company reiterated its commitment to upholding strong values and accountability, stating, 'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.'
Astronomer, founded in 2018, focuses on solving problems in data and artificial intelligence. The company acknowledged that public awareness about them 'may have changed overnight' due to the viral clip but stressed that their mission remains unchanged.
On Friday, the company announced that Pete DeJoy, Astronomer's co-founder and chief product officer, will take over as interim CEO. Following the announcement, Byron's LinkedIn account was made private and he was removed from the company's leadership page. However, he still appears on the company website as a member of the board of directors.
CNN noted that they were unable to reach Byron for comment. The story has since been updated with additional content.
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