Andy Byron, CEO of New York-based data and AI firm Astronomer, has resigned from his role following a viral “kiss cam” incident that ignited internal controversy and widespread public scrutiny. The company confirmed the resignation in an official statement released on Saturday, July 20, 2025, via LinkedIn and X.
“Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted,” the company said. “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 resignation follows the circulation of a now-viral TikTok video showing Byron and Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s Chief People Officer, appearing on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. In the footage, Byron was seen embracing Cabot before the two ducked out of view upon realizing they had been captured on the stadium’s big screen. The clip has since garnered nearly 9 million views.
The incident sparked online speculation and misidentification of a third individual in the frame. Astronomer swiftly issued a clarification, denying any public statement had been made by Byron at the time and affirming that the company was conducting a formal internal investigation.
In their latest communication, Astronomer reaffirmed its core values and its commitment to professional integrity:
“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.”
The company also acknowledged the viral nature of the event and its impact on Astronomer’s public image:
“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.”
Founded in 2018, Astronomer has built a reputation for helping organizations manage and deploy complex data infrastructure, particularly around open-source Apache Airflow. Despite the controversy, Astronomer’s leadership says it remains focused on solving enterprise-level challenges in data and AI:
“We’re continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems.”
As of Saturday, Byron’s profile was no longer visible on the company’s leadership page, though he remains listed as a board member. His LinkedIn account has also been set to private.
Pete DeJoy, co-founder and Chief Product Officer, will continue to serve as interim CEO while the board initiates a formal search for Byron’s successor.
