3 minute read
Coded for Curiosity
Coded for Curiosity
Written by Cassandra Houghton and Kloe Phelan
For Old Boys Tim and Miles ‘97 Cederman-Haysom, success hasn’t come from simply following a plan. It has come from asking the right questions, staying curious, and seizing the right opportunities — wherever in the world they appear.
Now based in California’s Bay Area, home to the world’s leading technology companies, both brothers have built impressive careers landing somewhere between people and systems.
Miles, a former Vice President of Engineering at SurveyMonkey and current Engineering Director at Google, has spent the last two decades scaling products used by millions of people globally. Known for his calm, thoughtful approach to leadership, he is a respected figure in Silicon Valley’s engineering community — someone who balances high-performance with deep humanity.
“We can build the smartest system in the world, but if it doesn’t help people or make their lives easier, what’s the point?” Miles said, emphasising the human-centred purpose of technology.
Meanwhile, Tim has taken a more entrepreneurial path. After completing a PhD in Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Queensland, he co-founded legal AI startup Paperflip which was later acquired by DocuSign, where he led their AI product team.
If it seems scary, it probably is. But don’t scare yourself out of it before you’ve even tried.
Today, Tim works at Gusto as the GM and Head of Product for their Tax Credits product.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the way people interact with technology,” Tim said. “It’s not just about innovation. It’s about usability, empathy and making sure we’re asking adequate questions and solving the right problems.”
The Cederman-Haysom brothers are not only technologists in the heart of the AI revolution, but they are also human-centred thinkers.
Throughout their careers, they’ve been guided by empathy, accessibility, and using technological innovation to genuinely improve people’s lives.
And their lives, like their work, are driven by a shared belief: opportunity doesn’t always come from following a set path, but from spotting the right one when it appears, and having the courage to take it.
Miles says their time at Brisbane Grammar School played a foundational role in developing that mindset. “Grammar taught us to be intellectually curious and socially aware,” he said. “It wasn’t just about grades, it was about thinking beyond yourself and believing that you had the potential to make big things happen.”
Today, as they raise their young families in the U.S., both Tim and Miles remain undeniably passionate about the impact that a Grammar education had on them.
“We know what kind of foundation it gave us,” Miles continued, “And we were very fortunate to attend BGS and to have had leaders who enabled us to look at our global ambitions not as frivolous ideas, but as very tangible possibilities.”
Tim and Miles Cederman Haysom continue to embody the best of the Grammar ethos: curiosity, courage, and a fearless pursuit of opportunity wherever it may lead.
