Latest news with #Cybereason
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Viral Coldplay kiss cam scandal gets uglier as 2018 report resurfaces alleging Andy Byron's toxic leadership
Andy Byron , the recently suspended CEO of data company Astronomer , is facing renewed scrutiny after a viral kiss cam video from a Coldplay concert showed him with the firm's HR head, Kristin Cabot. The incident sparked outrage online, but what followed was a flood of fresh claims from former employees, many pointing to a long pattern of toxic leadership. Trouble Started Years Ago? A 2018 report on the startup Cybereason, where Byron once served as Chief Revenue Officer, highlighted early concerns. The SoftBank-backed company reportedly began experiencing major internal issues shortly after Byron joined. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Finance PGDM Project Management MBA Product Management Leadership Operations Management CXO Cybersecurity Degree Data Science healthcare Others Management Data Science Data Analytics Healthcare MCA Design Thinking Digital Marketing Technology Artificial Intelligence others Public Policy Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Fintech & Blockchain India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 Months IIM Calcutta SEPO - IIMC CFO India Starts on undefined Get Details 'Multiple former employees said Mr Byron would lash out against employees who disagreed with him, including threatening to fire them,' the report said. 'You couldn't challenge him,' one former employee added. According to the same report, Cybereason's culture went from being open and transparent to one where people felt silenced. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A genetic disorder that is damaging his organs. Help my son Donate For Health Donate Now Undo Byron had defended his actions at the time, stating that his job was to prepare the company for growth and that 'difficult decisions' had to be made, which might have upset some people. Old Crew, New Problems? When Byron moved to Cybereason, he brought along a group of salespeople from his former workplace, Fuze. This reportedly added to the internal divide. Now in 2025, the viral Coldplay moment has become a tipping point. Disgruntled ex-employees are speaking up, with some even claiming that private social media groups of former staff were flooded with stories of Byron's alleged workplace toxicity after the video went viral. Live Events Astronomer Responds Following the public backlash, Astronomer announced that Andy Byron had been suspended and named Pete DeJoy as the interim CEO. Ry Walker, the company's co-founder and former CEO, reacted to the news online. 'I've only ever been on a call with Andy once,' Walker said. 'Everyone on the team praised his leadership to me. So this comes as a big surprise.' He added, 'I'm no longer involved in @astronomerio, not on the team or board since 2022, and have no information on ColdplayGate.' As the company tries to do damage control, it's clear the Coldplay concert wasn't just a PR blunder, it opened a floodgate. With past and present employees now speaking up, Astronomer and Andy Byron both face growing pressure to address deeper issues beyond a viral video. Inputs from TOI
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Astronomer's Andy Byron caused turmoil in previous office, no one was allowed to counter him
Suspended Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was accused of causing turmoil in his previous office as well. As Astronomer suspended Andy Byron after his Coldplay kiss cam video with company HR head Kristin Cabot went viral, accounts of his toxic leadership are surfacing one by one. A 2018 report detailed the mismanagement of startup Cybereason, the company where Byron used to work as the chief revenue officer. The report claimed that the employees of the SoftBank-backed startup blamed Byron's hiring as the beginning of the turmoil. "Multiple former employees said Mr. Byron would lash out against employees who disagreed with him, including threatening to fire them. 'You couldn't challenge him,' a former employee who worked for Mr Byron said. After that hiring, current and former employees described a shift in culture from a company that had previously prized transparency to one where it was lacking," the 2018 report said. After Byron joined the company, he brought in a crew of salespeople from his former company Fuze. At that time, Byron denied having any contentious dealings with staff and said he was hired bu Cybereason to help the company reach its next phase of growth and for that, he had to make some difficult decisions that might have disappointed some individuals. Cut to 2025, and one of the reasons behind the Coldplay video blowing up on social media is the disgruntled workers of the company. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Were So Beautiful Before; Now Look At Them; Number 10 Will Shock You Reportingly Undo Several former employees, on anonymity, disclosed that the social media groups of former employees were erupting as the toxicity that Byron spread finally caught up with him. Astronomer co-founder speaks up Ry Walker, the co-founder of Astronomer, spoke up in the wake of the controversy and also praised the decision of the company to make Pete Dejoy as the interim CEO. "I've found Andy to be professional, I've only ever been on a call with him once. Everyone on the team has praised his leadership to me. So I think this is an unfortunate development that comes as a big surprise," Walker said. "For those asking - I'm no longer involved in @astronomerio - yes I was co-founder and early CEO - not on the team or board since 2022, and have no information on ColdplayGate," he wrote.
NDTV
18-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Oh S***": Chris Martin After Kiss Cam Captures Astronomer CEO's 'Affair'
At first glance, they looked like a couple enjoying what they had perhaps waited for, for a long time - a Coldplay concert in their city. But the moment the British band's kiss camera captured them, they were caught off guard, looking for cover. Turned out they were Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company's HR head, Kristin Cabot. On Wednesday, they attended the Coldplay concert in Boston, where they engaged in some public display of affection on the jumbotron. As they saw themselves on the giant screens around the venue, they broke away from their hug and tried to duck out of sight. Band frontman Chris Martin joked, "Either they're having an affair or they're just really shy." He then expressed remorse over unintentionally calling them out and said, "Oh s**t, I hope we didn't do something bad." Coldplay's Chris Martin after unknowingly exposing Astronomer CEO's alleged affair with his HR chief: 'I hope we didn't do something bad…' — Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) July 17, 2025 The video went viral online, with many questioning Byron's behaviour considering his marital status. According to his LinkedIn profile, Andy Byron became the CEO of the New York-based AI firm Astronomer in July 2023. Before this, he held senior positions at companies like Lacework, Cybereason, Fuze, BMC Software, BladeLogic and VeriCenter. Between 2017 and 2019, Byron was the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Cybereason. He was responsible for leading its global sales and channel team. The company established a global presence in the EPP market and grew from five million Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) to over 70 million ARR with a 1 billion valuation during his tenure as CRO. The businessman is married to Megan Kerrigan, with whom he shares two children. The family resides in the neighbouring town of Northborough. Megan Kerrigan, who serves as an Associate Director of Lower School and Hope Graham Program Admissions at the Bancroft School, removed her surname from her Facebook page shortly after the controversial video featuring her husband went viral. Byron hired Kristin Cabot as the HR head of his company in November 2024. In a statement released at the time, he said, "Kristin's exceptional leadership and deep enterprise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory."
India.com
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Who is Andy Byron? CEO of Astronomer, married with two children, in news for cheating with company HR at Coldplay concert
When Coldplay fans gathered at Gillette Stadium near Boston, they were expecting a fun night full of music. But things took a surprising turn when Andy Byron, the CEO of a billion-dollar tech company, was seen getting close to his company's HR head Kristin Cabot during the band's famous 'Kiss Cam' moment. The Kiss Cam is meant to be a lighthearted part of the show, showing random people from the crowd on the big screen. Like others shown on the screen, singer Chris Martin spoke to the pair, but they quickly looked uncomfortable and tried to hide. Soon after, people online pointed out that Andy is already married, which led to a flood of reactions and questions some even labelled it the 'internet's biggest scandal'. The video spread fast, leaving many shocked and putting the spotlight on both Andy's personal life and the leadership at Astronomer, the company he runs. WATCH COLDPLAY VIRAL VIDEO Coldplay's Chris Martin accidentally exposes astronomer CEO Andy Byron having an affair with his HR chief Kristin Cabot. — Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 17, 2025 Who is Andy Byron? Andy Byron is the CEO of a tech company called Astronomer, which helps other businesses handle their data systems more smoothly. He took on this role in July 2023 and has been a big part of the company's fast growth. Under his leadership, Astronomer has become well-known for helping companies manage a tool called Apache Airflow, offering 70 per cent more uptime than if clients managed it themselves. The company also runs faster and more efficiently now. According to his LinkedIn profile, Andy worked at many well-known tech companies before becoming CEO which includes Lacework, Cybereason, Fuze, BMC Software, BladeLogic, and VeriCenter. At Cybereason, Andy worked as the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). He led the global sales team and helped the company grow a lot, taking it from USD 5 million to over USD 70 million in yearly income. The company's value also rose to USD 1 billion while he was there. Andy is married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, who works as an Associate Director at Bancroft School. The couple reportedly lives in New York with their two children. Meanwhile, Kristin Cabot recently finalised her divorce from Kenneth Thornby. They filed for divorce in 2018, and it was completed in 2022, according to Massachusetts court records. The two share at least one child.
NDTV
17-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
All About Astronomer CEO Andy Byron And Recent Controversy At Coldplay Concert
Andy Byron is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Astronomer, a data infrastructure company that helps businesses manage their data pipelines. Byron has been leading the company since July 2023 and has played an important role in its rapid growth. Astronomer has reportedly become a trusted platform for managing Apache Airflow, claims to offer clients 70% higher uptime than self-managed alternatives. It also offers significantly faster operational capabilities under his leadership. According to his LinkedIn profile, Byron held senior positions at companies like Lacework, Cybereason, Fuze, BMC Software, BladeLogic and VeriCenter before becoming the CEO. He was the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Cybereason, responsible for leading its global sales and channel team. The company established a global presence in the EPP market and grew from five million Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) to over 70 million ARR with a 1 billion valuation during his tenure as CRO. He is married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, an Associate Director at Bancroft School. They reportedly live in New York with their two children. Podczas koncertu zespołu Coldplay, "Kiss Cam" nieoczekiwanie stało się narzędziem do ujawnienia rzekomego romansu. Kamera pokazała Andy'ego Byrona, dyrektora generalnego firmy Astronomer, w objęciach Kristin Cabot, szefowej działu HR. — MNFPL (@musicnewsfactpl) July 17, 2025 Andy Byron's Controversy At Coldplay Concert Byron found himself at the centre of a scandal after being caught on camera with Kristin Cabot, the Chief People Officer at the company, during a Coldplay concert in Boston, sparking affair rumours. The moment was caught when the "kiss cam" focused on them. Visibly panicked, they tried to shield themselves. However, they became the highlight of the concert after Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin's remarks. He said, "Oh, look at these two... either they're having an affair or they're very shy." The video has gained massive traction on social media, with many expressing sympathy for Byron's wife. While some have questioned their "questionable" behaviour in a public setting.
