Grant Bird

Grant Bird

Chartered Loss Adjuster; National Chief Adjuster

DDI: +64 3 341 3531
Mobile: +64 21 507 531

V Card

Claims Experience

  • Aviation
  • Catastrophe Response
  • Commercial Property
  • Contract Works
  • Dairy and Food
  • Liability

Grant is a high profile Chartered Loss Adjuster, based in Christchurch, with over 40 years’ loss adjusting experience.  He attends many major and complex losses around the South Island.  He joined Godfreys in 2007 to spearhead its South Island operations.

He has expertise in both large commercial property and liability claims, particularly those involving rural risks and high technology primary processing industries.  Grant has developed specialist knowledge of dairy and food losses.  He provides advice on issues such as contract works events for factories, food contamination, packing faults, and material damage to processing facilities.  He also attends to investigations into workplace accidents on behalf of underwriters and legal advisors.

Grant has a strong background in the Aviation industry.  He is a qualified glider pilot, and previously-licenced private pilot.  He formerly held the role of CAA-approved Auditor under Parts 119 and 141 of the Civil Aviation Rules.  He has handled a broad range of losses across the aviation industry including hangar-keepers, liability and other aviation claims.

Grant oversees Godfreys Pacific Islands Disaster Response programme having attended claims in the Islands since 1983.  He has led disaster response teams to Fiji following two recent cyclone events and handled losses for tourist resorts and key industrial and infrastructure clients.

Qualifications and Other Credentials

  • ACLA – Associate of the Australasian Institute of Chartered Loss Adjusters
  • ANZIIF Snr Assoc – Senior Associate of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance
  • CIP – Certified Insurance Professional
  • CAA-approved Auditor under Parts 119 and 141 of the Civil Aviation Rules
  • Vice-President, South Canterbury Aero Club for 15 years

Examples of Work

Contract Works’ Claim – Major Dairy Manufacturer, New Zealand
Various South Island sites occurring during factory extensions.

Product Claims – Contamination, New Zealand
Various multi-million dollar claims.

Liability Claim – Fruit Packhouse, New Zealand
Multi-million dollar claim.

Product Claims – Packing Faults, New Zealand
Various multi-million dollar claims.

Liability Claims – Food Producers, New Zealand
Various multi-million dollar claims

Liability Claim – Ingredients’ Supplier to Dairy Manufacturer, New Zealand
Defective ingredients incorporated into dairy products.

Fire Damage Claim – Meat Freezing Works
NZ$33 million.

Christchurch Earthquake Events’ Claims 2010-2012

  • Historic / Heritage buildings on multiple sites – collectively $230 million
  • Large Industrial Manufacturing company – NZ$24 million
  • Multi-level Building – $22 million

Cyclone Damage – Tourist Resort, Fiji
$22,000,000.  London market claim following extensive damage to resort and infrastructure as a result of tropical cyclone activity in Fiji in 2012.  Work involved evaluation of damage, checking of costs, and oversight of reinstatement.  Also substantial business interruption aspect, due to partial closure of resort.

Cyclone Damage – Five Star Tourist Resort, Fiji
$10,270,000.  London market claim following extensive damage to a five star resort as a result of tropical cyclone activity in 2012.  Comprehensive assessment of damage, reviewing of costs and oversight of reinstatement for underwriters.  Also substantial business interruption claim due to complete closure of resort for five months.

Cyclone Damage – Four Star Tourist Resort, Fiji
$5,000,000.  London market claim for a four star resort extensively damaged following tropical cyclone activity in 2012.  Comprehensive assessment of damage, review of costs and oversight of reinstatement for underwriters.  Also substantial business interruption claim due to complete closure of resort for six months.

Catastrophe Response Team Leader, Fiji 2012, 2013 and 2016
Catastrophe Response Team Leader to Fiji following damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Evan on 17 December 2012 and Tropical Cyclone Winston on 20 February 2016.  Led a team of 10 loss adjusters and responded to serious storm damage claims in eleven tourist resorts, industrial and infrastructure clients principally for the London market.