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Andy Byron, the CEO of data operations firm Astronomer, has stepped down from his role following a viral incident that captured him sharing a seemingly intimate moment with a female colleague during a Coldplay concert in Boston. The moment, caught on the venue’s kiss cam, drew widespread attention and sparked online debate, prompting the company's leadership to take swift action.

The resignation was confirmed through an official statement released by Astronomer on LinkedIn. The company acknowledged a lapse in leadership conduct, stating, “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”

"Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO," the company said.

It added that before this week, it was known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI.

Byron, who took over as CEO in 2023, had brought Kristin Cabot onboard as part of the leadership team in November 2024. While the company did not name the co-worker involved in the video, it emphasised a renewed commitment to its founding values and internal culture.

Despite the unexpected media spotlight, Astronomer reassured clients and stakeholders that the incident would not impact its operations. "While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not,” the statement read. “We remain focused on solving complex data and AI challenges for our clients.”

Astronomer has been recognised in the tech industry as a leader in the DataOps space, powering systems for analytics and artificial intelligence across enterprises.