Kristin Cabot is an American human resources executive, currently serving as the Chief People Officer at Astronomer, a New York-based tech firm valued at $1.3 billion. With over two decades of leadership in HR roles at tech companies like Neo4j and Proofpoint, Cabot has earned a reputation for driving people-first strategies and scaling organizational culture.
In July 2025, however, she became the subject of viral controversy after a “kiss cam” moment at a Coldplay concert linked her publicly with Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, leading to wide speculation about a workplace affair and raising questions about professional ethics at the leadership level.
Kristin Cabot Wiki/Bio
| Full Name | Kristin Cabot (formerly Thornby) |
| Date of Birth | 1969 |
| Age | 56 (as of 2025) |
| Profession | Chief People Officer, Astronomer |
| Known For | HR leadership, Coldplay kiss cam scandal |
| Hometown | based in USA |
| Current Residence | Works in New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.A. in Political Science, Gettysburg College |
| Social Media | LinkedIn (comments disabled) |
Early Life
Kristin Cabot has kept her early life private. What is known is that she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Gettysburg College, which laid the groundwork for a career in corporate human resources. She started her professional journey in Silicon Valley, becoming known for building scalable and ethical workplace cultures in fast-growing tech environments.
Education
| College | Gettysburg College – B.A. in Political Science |
Her background in political science informed her strategic approach to employee relations, talent development, and executive-level alignment.
Family Details
| Marital Status | Divorced from Kenneth C. Thornby (2022) |
Kristin was previously married to Kenneth C. Thornby, with whom she shares at least one child. Their divorce was finalized in 2022. While unconfirmed, online posts speculate she may have remarried to an “Andrew Cabot,” though no public records validate this. The July 2025 Coldplay incident with Andy Byron added more fuel to speculation about her personal life.
Career Highlights
Cabot has worked in human resources across several high-profile companies. Before joining Astronomer in November 2024, she served as Chief People Officer at Neo4j, and held senior HR positions at ObserveIT and Proofpoint. She is known for aligning people strategy with business growth, and championing inclusive, scalable culture systems.
In interviews, she’s emphasized the value of trust-building across all organizational levels — a theme that ironically resurfaced during the 2025 controversy
Career Milestones
| Milestone | Details |
| Breakthrough | Chief People Officer at Neo4j |
| Current Role | CPO at Astronomer (Joined November 2024) |
| Key Contributions | Talent strategy, cultural alignment in tech startups |
Net Worth and Income
| Field | Details |
| Estimated Net Worth | $500,000–$1 million (as of 2025) |
| Income Sources | Executive salary, HR consulting |
Kristin Cabot’s earnings come primarily from her C-level positions in the tech world. Her compensation reflects two decades of strategic leadership in human resources, including high-growth companies in Silicon Valley and New York.
Controversies
On July 16, 2025, Kristin Cabot was caught on a Coldplay concert “kiss cam” in a moment of intimacy with Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer. The clip, filmed at Gillette Stadium and posted by TikTok user @instaagrace, showed Byron embracing Cabot from behind before both ducked out of camera view. Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, quipped, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy,” drawing huge audience reaction.
The moment went viral online, spurring intense scrutiny. Netizens resurfaced Kristin’s previous LinkedIn post claiming she “wins trust with employees from CEOs to assistants,” drawing irony in light of the allegations. She has since removed “Thornby” from her social profiles and disabled comments on LinkedIn.
Astronomer quietly deleted its November 2024 press release announcing her hire, while public debate erupted over leadership ethics in high-value companies. Neither Cabot nor Byron has addressed the incident publicly.
The internet found out he’s married and she knows 🙃 Imagine being caught having an affair by Coldplay 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/XtdQspLixO
— TONI TONE (@t0nit0ne) July 17, 2025
Kristin Cabot Recent Updates
2023–2024
- November 2024: Joined Astronomer as Chief People Officer, praised by CEO Andy Byron for her HR vision.
- January 2025: In a Techseries interview, emphasized her strategy-focused approach to HR.
2025
- July 16: Involved in a kiss cam moment with Andy Byron at a Coldplay concert in Boston.
July 17–18: Removed “Thornby” from her name on LinkedIn. Astronomer pulled down hiring posts. Online speculation intensified. - No Public Statement: As of July 18, Kristin Cabot has made no comment on the scandal.
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