CEO Andy Byron Faces Backlash on LinkedIn After Video Surfaces
New York,NY – [Date] – LinkedIn has become the latest battleground for public scrutiny following the identification of Andy Byron,CEO of Astronomer,as the individual featured in a viral video. Dozens of users have descended upon Byron’s now-deleted LinkedIn profile, levying criticism and employing Coldplay lyric puns, a level of public shaming more commonly observed on platforms like X or Facebook.
One comment, referencing the Coldplay song “Fix You,” read, “Lights did not guide Andy home.” Another user directly questioned, “who is the lady on the jumbotron, Andy?”
Byron, who previously graduated from Providence College, assumed the role of CEO at Astronomer in 2023. Astronomer, a private data infrastructure and operations company, achieved unicorn status in 2022, signifying a valuation of $1 billion or more. The company recently relocated its headquarters to New York City and secured $93 million in Series D funding, wiht a round led by Bain Capital Ventures and Salesforce Ventures.
Kristin Cabot,identified as the woman in the video and formerly the chief People Officer at Astronomer,also had her LinkedIn profile deleted. Her profile indicated she uses the surname “Thornby” and joined Astronomer in November 2024. cabot’s prior experience includes roles at ObserveIT,Neo4j,and Proofpoint.Public records suggest she has been married previously, though her current marital status could not be independently verified.
In a LinkedIn post that has as been removed, Byron had lauded Cabot’s “exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies.”
In response to the growing controversy, Astronomer has disabled comments on its social media accounts and has not yet issued a statement. Neither Astronomer, Byron, nor Cabot have responded to requests for comment from Fortune.