E-Paper
Who is Pete DeJoy? Astronomer's interim CEO after Andy Byron placed on leave amid Coldplay 'kiss cam' fiasco
Astronomer has confirmed CEO Andy Byron's leave after a public incident. Co-founder Pete DeJoy will temporarily assume the role of CEO.
Astronomer, the AI startup that’s been making headlines all week after CEO Andy Byron was caught on the Coldplay ‘kiss cam’ with an employee, has officially taken action.
On Friday night, the company confirmed that Byron has been placed on leave and cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy has stepped in to lead the company for now.
“Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave. We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days,” the company said.
CEO on leave after kiss cam captures affair
Byron, who had been leading the billion-dollar firm since 2023, was seen getting cosy with the company’s Head of People, Kristin Cabot, during the band’s show at Gillette Stadium in Boston earlier this week. The pair were captured, draped in arms, when the stadium’s kiss cam zeroed in on them.
Byron dropped to his knees in apparent panic while Cabot buried her face in her hands as the crowd erupted in laughter. Seeing that, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped, “They’re either having an affair or are very shy.”
The twist? Both Byron and Cabot are reportedly married to other people. The Daily Mail reported that Cabot is currently married to Andrew Cabot, CEO of Massachusetts-based Privateer Rum. Property documents dated January show Kristin, under her maiden name, Stanek, was married when she and her husband sold their $1.8 million home in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, Byron’s wife, Megan Byron, appears to have removed his last name from her social media profiles after the kiss-cam footage exploded online.
Just days before the incident, Byron was beaming on the New York Stock Exchange TV after Astronomer raised $93 million in Series D funding. “A huge opportunity,” he called it. “Very exciting.”
He had also praised Cabot when she joined the firm in November 2024, calling her “a perfect fit.”
