A Coldplay concert turned out to be an unforgettable night for Andy Byron, the former CEO of Astronomer. The executive has resigned after being caught in a scandal involving Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief People Officer. 
The situation has turned into a full-blown crisis for the company, which is now left scrambling to find a replacement for Byron.
The scandal was so damaging that Astronomer’s Board of Directors had to step in and initiate a formal investigation. Both Byron and Cabot have been placed on leave pending the results of the inquiry. While the company seeks a new permanent CEO, Pete DeJoy, the Chief Product Officer, has been appointed as the interim CEO.
A statement from the company emphasized its commitment to the values and culture that have been foundational since its inception. ‘Our leaders are expected to uphold the highest standards in both conduct and accountability. Recently, those standards were not met,’ the company stated, acknowledging the resignation of Byron. The search for a new CEO is now underway as DeJoy takes the reins temporarily.
Before this incident, Astronomer was regarded as a leader in the DataOps field, helping teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI. Despite the scandal, the company reassures that its product and its dedication to customer needs remain unchanged.
The scandal itself revolves around Byron, who is legally married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, but was involved in an affair with Kristin Cabot. The affair has not only led to Byron’s resignation but also raised questions about Cabot’s future at Astronomer, especially since her LinkedIn profile has been deactivated. No official comment has been made about the consequences she might face within the company.
CEO affairs are typically viewed with deep disapproval, as they often lead to perceptions of favoritism and a negative impact on employee morale. In the case of Astronomer, this incident threatens to disrupt the company’s daily operations and culture in the long term.