Online Reporter
NEW YORK. – THE new boss of Astronomer, Pete Dejoy, has broken his silence after taking over from CEO Andy Byron who resigned in the kiss cam “cheating” scandal.
Byron had been CEO of Astronomer – valued at over $1.3billion – since July 2023.
Byron and his mistress Kristin Cabot were caught off guard when their grinning faces flashed up on a big screen in front of 55,000 people at Boston’s Gillette Stadium.
Pete DeJoy stepped into the role following the scandal, and said the viral incident has received “a level of media attention that few companies – let alone start-ups in our small corner of the data and AI world – ever encounter”.
He wrote on LinkedIn: “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 added that despite the chaos, the company has “never shied away from challenges” – from the Covid-19 pandemic to navigating financial issues.
He continued: “And yet, we’re still here.”
“We’re here because Astronomer is built by people who live to solve hard problems, stay late to fix what’s broken, and care deeply about doing things the right way.
“We’re here because our customers trust us with their most ambitious data & AI projects. And, most importantly, we’re here because the mission is bigger than any one moment.”
In a statement announcing his departure, the firm said: “Our leaders are expected to set the standard . . . and recently, that standard was not met.” Cabot, listed as Chief People Officer, was placed on leave.
Before the viral moment, Byron had praised her as a “proven leader” with “deep expertise in talent management”. – The Sun
Bongani Ndlovu