Astronomer CEO resigns after viral Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam' video
The New York company, with offices in San Francisco and San Jose, confirmed Byron's departure in a statement from its Board of Directors on Saturday, July 19, citing the need for leadership to uphold 'conduct and accountability' that reflect Astronomer's values.
'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,' the company said in a statement to the Chronicle.
Byron's resignation comes days after a clip taken at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday showed him and Kristin Cabot, Astronomer's Chief Human Resources Officer, embracing on the venue's 'Kiss Cam' before appearing to recoil when they realized they were on screen.
'Oh, look at these two! Oh what? Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy,' singer Chris Martin said to the crowd.
The video has since drawn tens of millions of views on TikTok and provoked both public scrutiny and internal review.
'The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive,' the statement read.
Though the company's name became unexpectedly familiar to millions this week, Astronomer emphasized that its mission remains unchanged.
'While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not,' said Taylor Jones, Director of Communications.
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