Astronomer’s interim CEO addressed the public for the first time since taking over for his scandal-laden predecessor Andy Byron. Pete DeJoy, who co-founded the tech unicorn, was named interim head of the company over the weekend after Byron resigned his post.
Byron’s resignation came on the heels of a kiss cam video at a Coldplay concert that showed him embracing the firm’s HR head, Kristin Cabot. Byron, who is married, and Cabot attempted to hide from the cameras, creating a viral internet moment.
After the clip spread, Byron was placed on leave while the board launched a formal investigation into his conduct. DeJoy, Astronomer’s then chief product officer, was tapped for the corner office in his absence. Byron resigned his post on Saturday.
“The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies—let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world—ever encounter,” DeJoy wrote on LinkedIn Monday. “The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name.”
DeJoy, a graduate of Bowdoin College, co-founded Astronomer in 2017. The company has since grown into a successful private data infrastructure and operations company that achieved unicorn status in 2022 with a $1 billion or more valuation. He underscored his commitment to the company’s customers and employees in his Monday message, thanking those working at the company for their resilience and Astronomer’s clients for their trust.
“Our story is very much still being written,” he wrote.
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