Tech CEO and his HR chief ‘caught in affair at Coldplay concert’

A camera searching the Boston crowd for fans to focus on caught more than the band intended.

As the “kiss cam” swept across the crowd at a Coldplay concert in Boston, plenty of smitten couples were ready to pucker up. But when one middle-aged man, with his arms wrapped around a woman, ducked out of sight, it was clear something was amiss.

The grey-haired man removed his arms as the woman winced, turned away and covered her face with her hands. The man collapsed to his knees, shying away from the camera’s gaze.

“Oh, what!” a shocked Chris Martin said from stage on Wednesday. “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy,” he added.

The guilty-looking couple have been identified as Andy Byron, the married chief executive of Astronomer, a software development company, and Kristin Cabot, his chief people officer.

The exact status of their relationship is unclear, but their appearance on camera has gone viral, leading to fevered speculation on social media.

Astronomer has been contacted for comment. Numerous attempts to contact Cabot and other executives and board members were unsuccessful.

Byron has been chief executive since 2023

Cabot is his chief people officer.

Byron has been chief executive of Astronomer since 2023, according to his LinkedIn page. He had previously held various roles at other software companies. Cabot joined the company nine months ago, according to her LinkedIn page.

In a press release announcing her arrival, Astronomer said: “With over 20 years of experience in people and culture leadership, Kristin’s appointment reinforces our commitment to nurturing a collaborative and inclusive environment as we continue to scale.”

When she was hired, Byron praised his new head of HR as a “proven leader”.

“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 said.

“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.”

In the same press release, Cabot said that she was enthused by her discussions with her new boss. “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,” she added.

A picture has emerged online showing Byron and Cabot alongside other senior members of the Astronomer team. It does not appear as though Bryon and Cabot had previously worked together.

Reports online said that Byron’s wife had removed her husband’s name from her Facebook profile before deleting it entirely.

Towards the end of recent Coldplay concerts fans have been singled out on big screens so that the lead singer Martin can improvise a few lines about them.

“Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy,” Coldplay frontman Chris Martin said on stage. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Last month in Las Vegas the singer Celine Dion was picked out in the stands to huge cheers from the crowd as Martin sang: “Well Celine, our beautiful sister, you make my heart go on and on/ near, far, you’re a total superstar/ let’s hear it for the legendary Celine Dion.”

Coldplay are on their Music of the Spheres world tour. Their next concert is scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Coldplay “jumbotron” is a twist on the “kiss cam”, which has been a fixture of baseball games since the 1980s and has since spread to other events.

In 2012 President Obama was beamed on to the big screen at a Team USA basketball game in Washington. He put his arm around the first lady, Michelle, and kissed her on the lips, much to the delight of the crowd.

The Times