https://www.newsweek.com/astronomer-ceo-embraces-employee-concert-2100254
https://archive.is/prQuY
A tech entrepreneur has found himself in the limelight, apparently unintended, after appearing on a stadium jumbotron embracing a woman who is not his wife.
Footage rocketing across social media Thursday appears to show Astronomer CEO Andy Byron in a romantic clutch with his company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, at a recent Coldplay concert, sparking speculation about their relationship. Astronomer is a private data infrastructure startup that achieved "unicorn" status in 2022 with a $1 billion or more valuation. The company recently moved its headquarters to New York City as it expands.
Messages sent by Newsweek to Astronomer, as well as Byron and his wife Megan Kerrigan Byron were not immediately returned early Thursday.
It's unclear whether Byron's wife also attended the concert, where footage showed the tech entrepreneur hugging Cabot from behind as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin took note.
"Oh, look at these two," Martin said as the camera caught the embracing pair, who quickly separated when their image was beamed on the big screen to tens of thousands of fans enjoying the show.
"All right, come on, you're OK," Martin continued. "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy."
Coldplay played Tuesday and Wednesday at Gillette Stadium, home the NFL's New England Patriots, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Byron and his wife, both 50, live in nearby Northborough, public records show.
Kerrigan's Facebook page was inundated with comments early Thursday as speculation surrounding the kiss-cam footage continued to mount.
"I really hope if she sees all this and its new to her that she is surrounded by people who truly love and support her to help her get through this," one comment read. "This is so wrong and so hurtful."
Another observer noted the couple appear to be parents of two young sons.
"It's so much worse seeing she's obviously a [kind] person and a doting mother," another Facebook reply read. "You don't deserve this."
Cabot, who could not immediately be reached for comment, started working for Astronomer in November, according to her LinkedIn page.
"I'm a passionate people leader known for building award-winning cultures from the ground up for fast-growing startups and multi-national corporations," the page reads. "An influential leader and fearless change-agent, I lead by example and win trust with employees of all levels, from CEOs to managers to assistants. I pride myself on creating innovative systems and processes that attract top talent, while aligning an organization's people around its mission and values."
Byron praised Cabot in November, citing her more than 20 years of experience in "people and culture" leadership.
"At Astronomer, our people are the most valuable asset in helping our customers do more to gain a competitive advantage with their data," Byron said in a statement. "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."
Cabot, at the time, said she considered her role to be "people strategy versus traditional human resources," according to Astronomer's statement.
"There are plenty of companies out there where a leadership team doesn't recognize the value that a strong people leader and people team can bring to a company," Cabot said in November. "It's not just about benefits or catered lunches. There's so much more to it, and I was energized in my conversations with Andy and the Astronomer leadership team about the opportunities that exist here."
Another observer, meanwhile, said she felt sorry for Byron's wife, who removed her husband's name from her Facebook profile midday Thursday before deactivating her account altogether.
"Hopefully she's well aware of his embarrassing behind and that video just adds the icing on the cake for his shame," a reply on Kerrigan's Facebook page read. "No woman deserves to wake up to that kind of news!!"
https://archive.is/prQuY
A tech entrepreneur has found himself in the limelight, apparently unintended, after appearing on a stadium jumbotron embracing a woman who is not his wife.
Footage rocketing across social media Thursday appears to show Astronomer CEO Andy Byron in a romantic clutch with his company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, at a recent Coldplay concert, sparking speculation about their relationship. Astronomer is a private data infrastructure startup that achieved "unicorn" status in 2022 with a $1 billion or more valuation. The company recently moved its headquarters to New York City as it expands.
Messages sent by Newsweek to Astronomer, as well as Byron and his wife Megan Kerrigan Byron were not immediately returned early Thursday.
It's unclear whether Byron's wife also attended the concert, where footage showed the tech entrepreneur hugging Cabot from behind as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin took note.
"Oh, look at these two," Martin said as the camera caught the embracing pair, who quickly separated when their image was beamed on the big screen to tens of thousands of fans enjoying the show.
"All right, come on, you're OK," Martin continued. "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy."
Coldplay played Tuesday and Wednesday at Gillette Stadium, home the NFL's New England Patriots, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Byron and his wife, both 50, live in nearby Northborough, public records show.
Kerrigan's Facebook page was inundated with comments early Thursday as speculation surrounding the kiss-cam footage continued to mount.
"I really hope if she sees all this and its new to her that she is surrounded by people who truly love and support her to help her get through this," one comment read. "This is so wrong and so hurtful."
Another observer noted the couple appear to be parents of two young sons.
"It's so much worse seeing she's obviously a [kind] person and a doting mother," another Facebook reply read. "You don't deserve this."
Cabot, who could not immediately be reached for comment, started working for Astronomer in November, according to her LinkedIn page.
"I'm a passionate people leader known for building award-winning cultures from the ground up for fast-growing startups and multi-national corporations," the page reads. "An influential leader and fearless change-agent, I lead by example and win trust with employees of all levels, from CEOs to managers to assistants. I pride myself on creating innovative systems and processes that attract top talent, while aligning an organization's people around its mission and values."
Byron praised Cabot in November, citing her more than 20 years of experience in "people and culture" leadership.
"At Astronomer, our people are the most valuable asset in helping our customers do more to gain a competitive advantage with their data," Byron said in a statement. "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."
Cabot, at the time, said she considered her role to be "people strategy versus traditional human resources," according to Astronomer's statement.
"There are plenty of companies out there where a leadership team doesn't recognize the value that a strong people leader and people team can bring to a company," Cabot said in November. "It's not just about benefits or catered lunches. There's so much more to it, and I was energized in my conversations with Andy and the Astronomer leadership team about the opportunities that exist here."
Another observer, meanwhile, said she felt sorry for Byron's wife, who removed her husband's name from her Facebook profile midday Thursday before deactivating her account altogether.
"Hopefully she's well aware of his embarrassing behind and that video just adds the icing on the cake for his shame," a reply on Kerrigan's Facebook page read. "No woman deserves to wake up to that kind of news!!"
