'Coldplay kiss-cam' scandal had positive effect on company, says new Astronomer CEO
Astronomer's new interim CEO has revealed the impact the 'Coldplay kiss-cam' scandal has had on the company in a new statement.
For those of you who've been living under a rock the past few weeks, the talk of social media at the moment has been the infamous moment caught at one of Coldplay's recent concerts.
In Boston, US, last week, a man, who has since been identified as Astronomer's CEO, Andy Bryon, was caught on camera with his arms wrapped around a woman, believed to be the company's head of HR, Kristin Cabot.
When the camera panned towards them, the pair could be seen hiding from view, with Cabot turning around and covering her face with her hands, while Bryon dived beneath the railings.
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Their reaction led singer Chris Martin to joke about whether they were 'having an affair or they're just really shy'.
However, since the moment blew up on social media, Astronomer have released a few statements regarding the matter.
After initiating a formal investigation, it was reported that both were placed on leave by the company, with Byron submitting his resignation shortly thereafter - neither Bryon or Cabot have officially spoken out about the incident, however.
Since his departure, the role of interim CEO has been filled by Astronomer's co-founder, Pete DeJoy, who has issued another statement following his acquisition of the role.
In a post on LinkedIn, he wrote that the huge amount of media attention the company had received as a result of the incident was unlike any that few were likely to encounter.
He continued that while he 'would never have wished for it to happen like this', it has made Astronomer 'a household name'.
The post said: "At Astronomer we have never shied away from challenges; a near-decade of building this business has tested us time and time again, and each time we’ve emerged stronger.
"From starting a software company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to keeping the lights on through the collapse of the bank that held all our cash, to scaling from 30 to 300 people during a global pandemic that demanded we do it all without ever being in the same room.
"And yet, we’re still here."
Talking more about the company's mission, DeJoy said that their customers 'trust us with their most ambitious data & AI projects', adding: "I’m stepping into this role with a wholehearted commitment to taking care of our people and delivering for our customers. Astronomer’s foundation remains strong, built around the thriving Apache Airflow community."
He concluded his statement by saying their story is 'very much still being written', and thanked their team for their 'resilience & commitment to building something great'.
"And to our community and customers: thank you for your trust. We won’t let you down." DeJoy added.
James Moorhouse