NEWSAstronomer CEO Andy Byron 'Lashed Out' and 'Caused Turmoil' at Former Workplace Years Prior to His Alleged Affair at Coldplay Concert Going Viral
People are digging into Andy Byron's past.
Details of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron's controversial past are coming to light after he was caught at the Wednesday, July 16, Coldplay concert seemingly having an affair with colleague Kristin Cabot.
According to a 2018 exposé titled "Fake Hire, Staff Departures Roil SoftBank-Backed Security Startup," Byron joining the team at Cybereason as their chief revenue officer in 2017 "caused turmoil."
Andy Byron's Controversial Workplace History
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron 'caused turmoil' when he started working at Cybereason in 2017.
The piece claimed Byron would "lash out against employees who disagreed with him" and even threatened to fire them.
To put it simply, an ex-employee said, "You couldn’t challenge him."
His presence caused a major shift within the company, with a staffer at the time admitting, "The culture has done a 180. People loved the company. Now they hate it."
Byron's former employees claimed morale in the Cybereason office went down when he was hired.
"The promise was that Cybereason early on [was] something that a lot of people bought into, and it was true and authentic," an ex-employee explained in agreement. "It’s almost sad. ...We started off in the right direction and were very successful, but [with] the pressure to grow employees and revenue, it was never enough to just say we were a fast-growing company. We had to be the fastest-growing."
Byron Denies Having Tension With Staffers
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When Byron found out about the backlash, he brushed it off by noting his role required him to make "difficult decisions" that "disappointed some individuals." However, he denied having tension with any coworkers.
Overall, at least 60 employees exited Cybereason the year Byron was hired, though CEO Lior Div confirmed some went on their own while others were let go.
When singer Chris Martin noticed their scared reaction on the kiss cam, he joked, 'either they're having an affair or they're very shy.'
Byron recently went viral for cuddling with Cabot — the Chief People Officer at Astronomer — at Gillette Stadium in Boston, Mass., as the two colleagues were unexpectedly shown on the jumbotron. Once they realized they were on the screen, Byron immediately dropped his arms and ducked out of sight, while Cabot covered her face and turned around.
"Either they're having an affair or they're very shy," lead singer Chris Martin quipped.
It was revealed that the two are married to other people, and Byron's wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, allegedly removed her last name from her Facebook profile in the wake of the scandal.
Byron Praised Cabot When He First Hired Her
Byron hired Cabot as the company's Chief People Officer in November 2024.
Byron hired Cabot in November 2024 and praised her skills in a press release.
"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," he stated. "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."
Cabot also included a few words, sharing, “It’s not just about benefits or catered lunches. There’s so much more to it, and I was energized in my conversations with Andy and the Astronomer leadership team about the opportunities that exist here."
