A married tech CEO who went viral after being caught on the kiss cam with a colleague at a Coldplay concert is being slammed by a former employee as a “toxic” boss, with ex-staffers reportedly having second-hand embarrassment.Andy Byron is the chief executive of New York-based software firm Astronomer. He was seen in an awkward position with the company’s chief human resources officer Kristin Cabot during the band’s Boston show at Gillette Stadium. The pair was shown holding hands and wrapped in each other’s arms on the big screen before Cabot turned her back to the camera and Byron tried to duck out of view.The viral clip sparked online debate over workplace conduct and also started chatter among Byron’s former employees.A former employee who once reported directly to Byron told the New York Post that the incident was met with laughter and a sense of satisfaction among former staff.“The text groups and chains of former employees are like… everybody’s laughing their ass off and enjoying the hell out of what happened and him getting exposed,” the former colleague told The Post.The source added that Byron was seen as a harsh and aggressive manager. “In the workplace, Byron allegedly has a reputation as an aggressive, sales-obsessed executive who can be ‘toxic’,” the former employee said.Astronomer has not yet issued a public statement on the incident. Byron and Cabot have also not responded to media requests for comment.Astronomer, known for building cloud platforms to manage and monitor data pipelines, hired Cabot in November 2024. At the time, Byron had publicly praised her, saying, “Kristin’s exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory.”“She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer,” he added in the company’s official press release. Cabot had previously worked at data analytics firm Neo4j.She had responded positively to her onboarding experience, saying she was “energized” by her conversations with Byron and the Astronomer leadership team.Now, the viral concert video has proven damaging not just for the CEO and the HR head, but also for the company’s public image. Social media users criticised Astronomer’s work culture, with many demanding disciplinary action and suggesting that the leadership was aware of the relationship.Adding to the speculation, another employee from Astronomer who attended the concert with the pair was also seen in the video, appearing shocked and smiling as Cabot covered her face and Byron retreated from the camera’s view.
