Latest news with #PeteDeJoy
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
New Astronomer CEO describes ‘unusual and surreal' attention following Coldplay kiss cam scandal
The new CEO of Astronomer, the data company embroiled in the Coldplay kiss cam scandal, has described the newfound attention as 'unusual and surreal'. Pete DeJoy stepped up to the plate after the former CEO, Andy Byron, resigned on Saturday after being caught in an embrace with his company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, at a concert last week. 'Oh, they're having an affair or they're just very shy,' Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped as the pair ran away from where they were standing. A social media storm followed as the clip went viral and was widely covered by the media. '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,' DeJoy said in a statement on LinkedIn. However, DeJoy suggested a silver lining in that the furore had brought the New-York company into the spotlight. 'The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name,' DeJoy said. DeJoy boasted that Astronomer, a company that began as a software company in Cincinnati, Ohio, "never shied away from challenges," including a recovery from 'the collapse of the bank that held all our cash' and expanding from 30 to 300 people during the Covid-19 pandemic. He went on to add: '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.' On Saturday, Astronomer released a statement saying their leader had flouted the company's values when he was caught in the act. 'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,' the company statement read. 'Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI. While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not.' The company also squashed rumors online that other employees were at the concert with the duo, and thus knew about the affair. 'Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video,' the company wrote in its statement. Byron's wife, Megan Byron, 50, is reportedly laying low at the family's $2.4million Maine mansion as crisis talks unfold over her marriage, The Daily Mail reported Monday.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Astronomer CEO says Coldplay scandal made company a 'household name'
The new CEO of data tech company Astronomer has addressed the infamous Coldplay 'Kiss Cam' scandal that prompted the last person in his position to resign. Co-founder Pete DeJoy assumed the role of interim CEO after a viral video reportedly showed CEO Andy Byron and the company's chief people officer embracing on the Jumbotron during a July 18 show, according to the New York Times. Following the scandal, the company announced via posts to X and LinkedIn that Byron had "tendered his resignation." In a new LinkedIn post titled 'Moving Forward at Astronomer,' DeJoy broke his silence on the controversy with a more positive take on the situation. New Astronomer interim CEO speaks on scandal '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,' DeJoy wrote in the Monday, July 21 post. 'The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name," he said. '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,' DeJoy wrote. 'And yet, we're still here.' Has Andy Byron spoken up about the scandal? Byron has yet to publicly address the controversy or his leave of absence at Astronomer. The company has dismissed a recent fabricated statement impersonating Byron. The video of the July 16 incident at Gillette Stadium has received more than 124 million views on TikTok alone. The viral moment shows a man and a woman embracing each other before quickly letting go and ducking out of view when a "Kiss Cam" put them in the spotlight at the Foxborough, Massachusetts stadium. 'Uh oh, what? Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy,' Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin quipped at the time. Astronomer didn't specify exactly why Byron resigned but on LinkedIn wrote the company "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." The company did not respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Astronomer CEO calls Coldplay scandal 'surreal' in first statement Solve the daily Crossword
Khaleej Times
17 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
'Astronomer now a household name': New CEO issues first statement
The Coldplay concert last week drew major attention — however, this time it was not for the band's fan interaction, or their musical genius. Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company's Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot were caught in a public storm as the two were featured on the jumbotron at the event, sharing a hug; once they saw themselves on the big screen, Cabot hid her face, and Byron ducked down. Seeing their reaction, Chris Martin reportedly quipped, "Oh look at these two... either they're having an affair or they're very shy." With both parties reportedly married to other people, the moment fuelled viral memes, with brands cashing in on the controversy and sparked a fiery discussion online on privacy at public venues. After the incident threw the company into the public spotlight, Byron resigned. While the company "begins a search for the next Chief Executive, Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO," a statement issued by Astronomer said. After stepping into his new role, DeJoy who called the spotlight "surreal" issued his first statement as interim CEO. Read his full statement here: "Over the weekend, I stepped into the role of Interim CEO at Astronomer, a company that I've proudly poured my entire professional life into helping build. Over the past few years, our business has experienced incredible growth. What was once a mission to help companies with Apache Airflow has turned into so much more. We're privileged to sit at the center of our customers' data & AI strategy, powering data pipelines behind in-game analytics of your favorite sports team, LLM powered chatbots for customer support, training AI for self-driving cars, and every mission-critical process in between. 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. The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name. At Astronomer we have never shied away from challenges; a near-decade of building this business has tested us time and time again, and each time we've emerged stronger. 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. 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. I'm stepping into this role with a wholehearted commitment to taking care of our people and delivering for our customers. Astronomer's foundation remains strong, built around the thriving Apache Airflow community. Our opportunity to build a DataOps platform for the age of AI remains massive. And our story is very much still being written. 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."
India Today
19 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Astronomer now household name: New CEO's first statement after kiss-cam scandal
Data and AI startup Astronomer has appointed co-founder Pete DeJoy as interim CEO after its former chief executive stepped down following a controversy involving a Coldplay Byron stepped down as CEO of AI company Astronomer, days after a video of him and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot appearing on a 'kiss cam' at a Coldplay concert near Boston went viral.'Surreal spotlight': From quiet startup to centre of attentionIn a public note posted on LinkedIn, Pete DeJoy acknowledged the 'unusual and surreal' attention the company has received over the past few days.'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 wrote. 'While I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name.'DeJoy, who co-founded Astronomer and has been a key figure in shaping its direction since the beginning, said he stepped into the role of interim CEO 'over the weekend.' He said his focus will be on supporting the team and ensuring customer trust remains intact.A company built through challengesFounded in Cincinnati, Ohio, Astronomer started out as a platform helping organisations make the most of Apache Airflow, an open-source tool used to manage complex data pipelines. Over time, the startup has grown into a major player in the DataOps space, working on backend data infrastructure for everything from sports analytics and AI chatbots to autonomous vehicle said that the company had survived tough moments before, from banking crises to scaling during a pandemic, and that the current moment was just another test of resilience. 'At Astronomer we have never shied away from challenges; a near-decade of building this business has tested us time and time again, and each time we've emerged stronger,' he hinted at a renewed focus on values and internal trust. '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,' he company has reportedly taken internal steps to reinforce its culture and support employees following the media storm. Several team members have expressed support for the transition, highlighting DeJoy's long involvement in shaping Astronomer's growth said that despite the noise around the leadership change, Astronomer's mission remains intact. 'Our opportunity to build a DataOps platform for the age of AI remains massive. And our story is very much still being written,' he statement ended on a note of reassurance to employees, customers, and the broader open-source community around Apache Airflow: '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.'- EndsMust Watch advertisement
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Pete DeJoy Net Worth: How much the new Astronomer CEO is expected to earn in his new position?
'Tis the time to go back to the age-old saying, 'one person's loss is another's gain.' After the Coldplay kiss-cam video of Andy Byron (ex-CEO, Astronomer) supposedly cuddling with Kristin Cabot (HR chief, Astronomer) during a concert went viral, triggering a meme-fest and some serious aftermath, like Byron stepping down from the position of CEO of the tech company, Pete DeJoy found himself filling in the position, for the time being. At the end of last week, Astronomer announced that Byron has resigned and the Board of Directors is looking for a new CEO. 'Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO,' the company said in a LinkedIn post. Pete DeJoy, the interim CEO of Astronomer, isn't a new hire for the tech company. In fact, DeJoy, being a company veteran, helped establish Astronomer in 2017. With his promotion to the role of CEO, DeJoy's financial profile is expected to boost as well. How much will DeJoy earn as CEO of Astronomer? According to reports, typical US startup CEOs earn around $161,000 at an early stage. However, though salaries jump sharply in companies like Astronomer that has already achieved unicorn status with a valuation of over $1 billion in 2022. Net worth: Apart from his regular salary, DeJoy is expected to rake in more from his founder equity. As a 2017 co-founder and current Chief Product Officer, he is likely to own a significant equity stake in Astronomer, which is now valued between $1–5 billion post-Series D funding in May 2025 If DeJoy holds even a 1%–5% stake, his equity could be worth $10 million to $65 million, aligning closely with estimates of former CEO Andy Byron's net worth, which reportedly stands between $20 million and $70 million. Who is Pete DeJoy? Pete DeJoy, currently serving as the interim CEO of Astronomer, helped establish the tech company in 2017 and oversaw its core products, including the Apache Airflow platform. Graduated with dual degrees in Chemistry and Physics from Bowdoin College, DeJoy served as the Chief Product Officer, having previously held the position of Vice President of Product. With eight years at Astronomer and a deep understanding of its workflow and culture, he is uniquely suited to steer the data infrastructure and operations firm during this 'rough patch'. On July 21, after becoming the interim CEO of Astronomer, DeJoy posted on LinkedIn under the heading 'Moving Forward at Astronomer', calling the period 'unusual and surreal.' "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," DeJoy wrote. "The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name." But, he noted, Astronomer has 'never shied away from challenges' in the almost ten years since its inception. '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,' Pete added. '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.' He also shared a special message to the company's employees and greater supporters. 'To our team: thank you for your resilience & commitment to building something great,' Pete concluded. 'And to our community and customers: thank you for your trust. We won't let you down.' 'We proved no one is above the law': Letitia James after Donald Trump fined in NY Civil Fraud Case
