Astronomer CEO Andy Byron had plenty of nice things to say about HR staffer Kristin Cabot when she joined his big tech firm months before they were spotted at Coldplay together
Tech tycoon Andy Byron wrote gushing words about his Astronomer colleague Kristin Cabot months before they went viral at a Coldplay concert. The clip showed CEO Byron and HR staffer Cabot appear on a “kiss cam” during the band’s show in Boston on Wednesday night.
The pair had been in an embrace, but once they realised they were on the big screen, they leapt out of each other’s arms, seemingly in a panic. Cabot covered her face with her hands as Byron crouched down to stop his face being in view. He also appeared to say “f****** hell, it’s me.”
Chris Martin had some theories, and speaking into the microphone, he quipped: “Oh, what… either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” The pair then ran away from their spot, but by this point it was too late, the clip was doing the rounds, and people were determined to find out who they were, and why they were acting strangely. Following the incident, a statement claiming to be from Byron hit out at Coldplay for showing the moment. But his company has since revealed the statement was fake.
We now know Byron is the CEO of a data orchestration platform in New York called Astronomer. According to the LinkedIn page, the AI startup company “empowers data teams to bring mission-critical analytics, Ai, and software to life”.
The woman who he had his arms wrapped around is also employed by Astronomer. Her LinkedIn states that she joined the company nine months ago with her title being Chief People Officer.
And when his co-worker Cabot joined the team in November, Byron had some gushing words to say about her in a press release.
He said: “Kristin’s exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory.
“She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer.”
The press release also said that she had a “proven track record of preserving and enriching company culture at organizations experiencing rapid growth”.
Cabot was equally enthused, and wrote about being “energised in my conversations with Andy and the Astronomer leadership team and the opportunities that exist here”.
She added: “I prefer to think of my role as people strategy versus traditional human resources, as the real magic happens when you align the people strategy with the business strategy.”
Byron has been the CEO of the software development company since July 2013 and Astronomer is reportedly worth more than $1.3billion (£1b). The Economic Times suggest his net worth stands anywhere between $20million (£14.8m) and $70million (£52m).
The Mirror has approached Astronomer for comment regarding claims made in this story.