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Pete DeJoy issues first statement as Astronomer interim CEO after Andy Byron's exit. Full text here
The new interim CEO of Astronomer, Pete DeJoy, has released his first-ever statement after replacing Andy Byron.
Just a few days after Andy Byron resigned as the CEO of Astronomer, his successor, the new interim CEO, Pete DeJoy, shared his first official statement. Byron's downfall started after he was caught in an intimate embrace with his HR Head, Kristin Cabot, at Coldplay's concert.
The shocker? Both Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot are married to other people. The video quickly went viral, and the couple was busted. Following that, Astronomer announced that Andy Byron would be stepping down and Pete DeJoy would be taking his place.
Also read: Phil and Gloria's Modern Family kiss cam scene goes viral amid Andy Byron's Coldplay concert scandal
Pete DeJoy's first statement after Coldplay scandal
Astronomer’s interim CEO, Pete DeJoy, formally announced his appointment on LinkedIn. He wrote that Astronomer had become a household name overnight, but this is not the way he wished it would happen. Read his full statement below:
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.
Earlier, the official X page of Astronomer also reacted to the controversy. The company wrote that the leaders in their association are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and added that the standard was not met.
What happened at the Coldplay concert?
The entire controversy started at Coldplay's Wednesday concert at Camp Randall Stadium. As Chris Martin was interacting with his fans on the Kisscam, the camera zoomed in on Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot. The couple, who were seen in an embrace, panicked as soon as they showed up on the screen. Byron ducked, and Cabot hid her face. Martin even joked that either the couple was really shy or they were having an affair. Since then, Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan, dropped his last name from her social media handles.
FAQs:
1. Was Andy Byron fired from Astronomer?
As per an official statement, Andy Byron tendered his resignation after the Coldplay scandal.
2. Who is the new CEO of Astronomer?
The new interim CEO of Astronomer is Pete DeJoy.
3. Is Kristin Cabot still working at Astronomer?
So far, Kristin Cabot is still an employee at Astronomer.
