Ry Walker, co-founder and former CEO of Astronomer, poked fun at the company's current leader, who was allegedly caught cheating on his wife at a Coldplay concert.
Andy Byron went viral after he was seen wrapping his arms around his HR chief on the jumbotron at the British band's concert.
Andy and the woman, Kristin Cabot, quickly stepped out of the camera's view to protect their identities, leading to speculation that they were having an affair. Ry distanced himself from the incident, called "ColdplayGate" online.
Highlights
- Ry Walker, who co-founded Astronomer in 2015, spoke out about the tech company CEO’s alleged infidelity.
- Current CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot were caught embracing on a Coldplay concert kiss cam, sparking affair rumors.
- Ry praised Andy's professionalism and leadership.
Image credits: rywalker
"For those asking - I'm no longer involved in @astronomerio - yes, I was co-founder and early CEO - not on the team or board since 2022, and have no information on ColdplayGate," Ry wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He also replied to a post by an angel investor who shared the viral clip of the CEO and said, "This is why we passed on the seed round."
The investor clarified that he was joking, saying he passed on the seed round because he couldn't convince his partners at his firm to close the deal. He added there was a different CEO at the time, who was "awesome."
Ry, then the company's chief executive officer, replied to the post, "Yes, he was :)"
Speaking to Bored Panda, Ry described Andy as “professional” and expressed surprise at the scandal
Image credits: CollinRugg
The businessman, now CEO of the software company Tembo, was asked whether the alleged cheating scandal meant it was "time for a comeback" at Astronomer, but he said he’s "super happy" where he is now.
Ry spoke with Bored Panda about Andy’s character, describing him as “professional” and expressing surprise at the recent scandal.
“I’ve found Andy to be professional, I’ve only ever been on a call with him once.
“Everyone on the team has praised his leadership to me. So I think this is an unfortunate development that comes as a big surprise.”
Current CEO Andy Byron was caught embracing his HR chief, Kristin Cabot, on the jumbotron at a Coldplay concert
Image credits: CollinRugg
Ry was CEO for Astronomer from 2015-2019, until the tech company hit traction. He felt that someone with more experience was better suited to lead the company during its next phase, so he hired another leader, named Joe Otto.
He explained: “With Tembo I have a lot more confidence to remain CEO through the growth phase, so I’m excited to go further as CEO with this company than last time.”
On social media, people were also curious to know if he was truly Coldplay-free, as if liking the band were an indicator of CEO unfaithfulness.
"I have 704 liked songs in Spotify - none are Coldplay, but I do think Chris Martin is an amazing vocalist," he said.
Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot work together at Astronomer, an AI and data-based company that is valued at $1.2 billion.
The pair lost their anonymity on Wednesday night (July 16) when they appeared on the kiss cam during Coldplay's concert at the Gillette Stadium near Boston.
Image credits: astronomerio
Image credits: rywalker
The co-workers were embracing as the camera panned toward them. Upon realizing the entire stadium was watching, Kristin quickly covered her face with her hands and turned around, while the CEO ducked down.
"Look at these two," said Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, before the duo's reaction left him confused. "Oh, what? Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.
"Holy s**t. I hope we didn't do something bad," the Fix You singer expressed.
Ry, who co-founded Astronomer, confirmed he left the tech company in 2022
Image credits: Astronomer
The moment was caught on video and spread like wildfire on social media, with the incident exposed to millions of viewers.
Andy is married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, an educator at Bancroft School. The couple has two children.
After the clip went viral, her Facebook page became flooded with comments on her husband's behavior, leading her to remove her married surname and ultimately delete her social media profiles.
Neither Andy, Kristin, nor the company has publicly commented on the incident.
Image credits: rywalker
Andy assumed the role of CEO for the New York-based company in July 2023.
Kristin joined Astronomer in November of last year. In a company press release, the CEO praised the human resources chief's "exceptional leadership" and two decades of HR experience.
"Her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer," the tech mogul gushed.
Image credits: Astronomer
Kristin is not married. According to The Sun, she filed for divorce from a man named Kenneth Thornby in 2018, and the divorce was finalized in 2022. It's unknown whether she's in a relationship.
The 56-year-old mother wrote on LinkedIn that her conversations with Andy prior to being hired had "energized" her about the "opportunities" at the company.
On her LinkedIn profile, she described herself as "a passionate People leader," adding, "I pride myself on creating innovative systems and processes that attract top talent, while aligning an organization's people around its mission and values."
A fake statement attributed to Andy has been circulating on social media, in which the CEO apologizes to his wife, family, and the team at Astronomer and asks for "privacy" as he "navigates" the repercussions of the incident.
Astronomer denied that the claim was written by Andy.
The alleged affair between Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot continues to intrigue netizens
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