Gwyneth Paltrow is walking on stage at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit in New York City. She’s had an impressive on-screen breakthrough this year in a recent ad for Astronomer, a data company weathering their own recent executive turmoil. The video, shared on Astronomer’s social media accounts, features Paltrow delivering a corporate-style message to the company’s staff. This appearance comes less than two weeks after a viral, humiliating appearance of Astronomer’s now former CEO and Chief People Officer.
In the ad, Paltrow stands behind a desk, projecting a corporate image as she speaks to the brands’ workers and investors. She was simply thrilled that there was that much interest in Astronomer. She further recognized the trust questions the company has faced from media coverage, particularly in light of recent events.
“I’ve been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer. We’ve had a lot of questions over the last few days.” – Gwyneth Paltrow
Astronomer isn’t the only space-related project that Paltrow has been involved with recently, after a major viral moment at a Coldplay concert in Boston on July 16. A short video featuring then-CEO Andy Byron and former Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot blared on the jumbotron. This tune was the first time that enough eyes and ears turned on this entire moment to really wake folks up. This accountability came with a price for Byron, though, in the wake of the incident. He had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation and has since resigned from his position. Cabot’s departure was quickly confirmed by the company itself soon after.
Astronomer has verified that both Byron and Cabot have left the organization, as it continues to figure out how to operate through these recent changes. Paltrow’s appearance in the video serves as an effort to stabilize and reassure employees during a tumultuous period for the tech firm.
As the founder of lifestyle brand Goop, Paltrow is sure to add a unique presence to her new temporary post at Astronomer. Her overarching message is a call for workers to come together. It provides a path through the fog of doubts and fears created by change in leadership.
