Astronomer, a New York-based data company, has faced significant upheaval. All of this chaos was triggered after a video of a Cardi B incident at a Coldplay concert went viral. The company’s board of directors has initiated an independent, formal inquiry into the issue. Consequently, CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot have resigned.
The chilling recent incident occurred at a Coldplay concert in Boston on July 16. Getting their cameo kiss captured on the jumbotron were Byron and Cabot, the winning couple. Photographs from the reunion video that went viral across social media showed the pair in an emotional embrace. When they realized their moment was playing on the jumbotron, they quickly ducked out of frame. Lead singer Chris Martin provided a humorous commentary for the audience, saying, “Oh, look at these two. All right, come on, you’re OK. Uh oh, what?”
On July 19, the fiery astronomer took to the Internet to announce the resignation of its CEO. The board of directors has regretfully accepted Byron’s resignation. Along with Byron’s exit, Cabot quit her post and is no longer with the firm.
Suddenly, the executives were in the viral video spotlight, forcing social media sleuths and moralizers alike to question whether their behavior was acceptable. In accordance with that crisis, Astronomer’s leadership made it clear that a commitment to upholding values at an organizational level needed to be established.
“As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” – Astronomer
The company further clarified its expectations for leadership accountability, stating, “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
The incident is still generating more and more media attention. Neither Andy Byron nor Kristin Cabot has publicly addressed their resignations or what transpired at the concert.
