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Coldplay kisscam embrace goes viral as expert explains what will happen next

A HR expert gives her take on the viral moment a CEO and a HR director were caught intimately embracing at a Coldplay concert including what is likely to happen next

[This is what's going to happen next]

This is what's going to happen next(Image: Courtesy of Melissa Stone / SWNS)

A HR expert said "some serious crisis planning" will be needed after the now infamous kisscam moment at a Coldplay concert.

HR director, 43-year-old Melissa Stone, shared her insight into the viral clip showing an intimate moment between a CEO and a HR director.

The pair were both accidentally caught on a kisscam arm in arm at a Coldplay concert in Boston on Tuesday, before both panicking and darting out of frame.

Social media have named them as Andrew Byron, 50, the CEO of artificial intelligence start-up Astronomer, while the woman, Kristin Cabot, is the chief people officer. The moment raised suspicions of undisclosed relationship between the two colleagues.

Melissa has now shared what could be happening at the billion-dollar artificial intelligence start-up in the wake of the clip which may even include a rigorous investigation. The HR expert, from County Wexford, Ireland, has two decades of experience in the industry under her belt and admits the clip "looks awful."

[Melissa Stone gives us the insight]

Melissa Stone gives us the insight(Image: Courtesy of Melissa Stone / SWNS)

She said: "When something like this happens, there will be a damage to the trust and confidence in a company's leadership - both with staff and investors.

"It's all allegations at the moment, but it does create issues from a perception perspective. People in senior positions are always representing the company, even just out and about - it's about the company's ethical credibility.

"And perception is enough to cause reputational damage, even if it isn't true."

In the wake of the reveal, Melissa said that from a HR perspective, there are "many moving parts." She said staff may no longer feel safe reporting issues to HR or the CEO because of the risk of preferential treatment or breaches of confidentiality and that any company of size should have clear and well-laid out HR policies in place that have been agreed by a board.

Melissa said she would expect an emergency board meeting to have been called. This would typically include HR, the CEO, the head of finance, the marketing and comms team, and another board member to keep everyone updated.

However, it's likely the people at the heart of the video will have been asked not to come to work, and the meeting would take place without them. From there, decisions would be made over what happens next.

[An awkward moment ]

An awkward moment (Image: instaagraace/Tiktok)

She said: "Normally, if you're in breach of policies, that needs to be dealt with, like termination. But if he is CEO, he may be an essential component of the business, and without him it doesn't exist.

"They may throw HR under the bus. HRs are often the ones thrown under the bus and blamed, it's really tough. Or maybe, I can imagine, in six months time, they both make a quiet exit that has been agreed with some sort of settlement package."

Given rumours that another of the HR team was also in attendance, Melissa said it could have damaged the reputation of the entire industry. She suggested it may "do a lot of damage to the credibility of HR teams in general".

Melissa said, if she were responsible for dealing with the fallout, she'd need to do some digging first, adding: "The first thing I would do is a full investigation - I'd need to know absolutely everything. I'd want to speak to witnesses, to get a really robust understanding of the facts. And then we'd have to make a tough decision."

Melissa said however unlikely, we must consider the idea that, perhaps it's a legitimate relationship with two individuals, who are married but separated from their spouses.

In which case, it may be handled entirely differently. This is why a proper, thorough investigation is so important. She said over the coming weeks she'll be paying close attention to what comes next, and added: " Even if people have got the wrong end of the stick, it still looks awful.

"A robust investigation needs to happen immediately - and some serious crisis planning. In the HR world people will be talking about this for years as a prime example of why training and policies need to be in place."

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