Andy Byron, chief executive of the $1.3 billion data infrastructure company Astronomer, has formally resigned after a highly publicized incident at a Coldplay concert involving the firm’s HR chief. The incident, which occurred on the ‘kiss cam’ at Gillette Stadium, saw Byron hug Astronomer’s HR executive Kristin Cabot, prompting in-house questioning.
First, the company put Byron on leave. In a company statement, Astronomer stated, “Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is now serving as interim CEO, as Andy Byron has been put on leave.” The company, however, confirmed Byron’s resignation a day later on July 19.
The company put out a revised statement, stating, “Andy Byron has resigned, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will launch a search for our future Chief Executive while Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy remains as interim CEO.”
The firm cited its fundamental values during the aftermath, supplementing, “As noted earlier, Astronomer is dedicated to the culture and values that have characterized us since our inception. Our leaders are anticipated to lead by example in conduct and accountability, and recently, an expectation was not met.”
Byron’s Net Worth and Salary
As reported by the New York Post, Byron’s net worth is between $50 million and $70 million. His annual salary was reported between $469,000 and $690,000, with bonuses based on performance.
Ex-COO Speaks Out
Ry Walker, early CEO and co-founder of Astronomer, commented on social media site X after the announcement. “I was CEO of Astronomer from 2015–2019, effectively until we achieved real traction,” he stated.
Sharing his perspective on Byron, Walker added, “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.”
Walker had served in key leadership roles at Astronomer until his departure in 2022 when he transitioned to another company, Tembo.
