Led by an Emmy Award-winning producer and with firm roots in TV and film production, GFS has first-hand experience of the realistic requirements, issues and opportunities facing our clients throughout the entire process of screen production.
Our risk management theory and practice has also been successfully applied to government, NGO and private sector projects, where we’ve proven our ability to quickly learn and adapt to our clients’ business context.
Worldwide & worldwise
When you work with GFS you are choosing a trusted, experienced and global team that truly understands your business, anticipates the solutions you need, and employs the highest standard of expertise.
When you work with GFS you are choosing a trusted, experienced and global team that truly understands your business, anticipates the solutions you need, and employs the highest standard of expertise.
Why choose GFS?
We have a firsthand understanding of your business.
We are the global screen sector’s trusted and experienced partner.
With a track record dating back more than 17 years and involving productions in locations across the globe, a portfolio of industry-leading clients and a suite of industry-recognized and award-winning products and services, GFS is the global screen sector’s trusted and experienced partner.
With a track record dating back more than 17 years and involving productions in locations across the globe, a portfolio of industry-leading clients and a suite of industry-recognized and award-winning products and services, GFS is the global screen sector’s trusted and experienced partner.
We utilize the highest standard of expertise.
Our rigorous standards ensure our team brings genuine expertise in risk management and production. We select our leadership team, consultants and subcontractors from global networks of professionals and require that they meet high levels of competency and experience.
We don’t just fix problems; we anticipate the solutions you need.
With a deep understanding of industry best practices, we are uniquely positioned to not only assist you with any challenge or requirement your production or project may face, but also to anticipate the future issues and opportunities you may encounter, and the solutions required to proactively address and unlock that potential.
With a deep understanding of industry best practices, we are uniquely positioned to not only assist you with any challenge or requirement your production or project may face, but also to anticipate the future issues and opportunities you may encounter, and the solutions required to proactively address and unlock that potential.
We operate wherever in the world you are.
Our team has been working remotely and on locations in virtually every country on the planet for nearly two decades. This ability to operate anywhere in the world is made possible by our OverWatch™ 24/7 operations center, offices in Los Angeles and Boston (U.S.), Queenstown (New Zealand), Sydney (Australia), Suva (Fiji), and Denpasar (Indonesia), and a global network of expert consultants and subcontractors.
Our story
GFS was co-founded in 2004 by three-time Emmy Award-winning producer and Producers Guild of America Television Producer of the Year nominee, Julian Grimmond, and former health services manager and nurse practitioner Frith O’Hagan.
Originally named Global Film Solutions, the company began making films in the mountains of New Zealand and now operates globally across sectors.
Early on, our innovative and disciplined risk management approach to production was recognized as being essential to the seamless delivery of shows for U.S. networks FOX, ABC, NBCUniversal and CBS.
The systems and processes we developed went on to become the preeminent risk management frameworks for a generation of high risk reality series.
Today, our risk assessments continue to set the benchmark for screen productions internationally, are recognized by major insurance companies and have been awarded by leading international and national bodies for risk professionals.
As a provider of risk management solutions, production services and original content, we have collaborated on more than 2,500 projects touching every continent of the world – from the peak of Mount Everest to the depths of the Southern Ocean.
We opened offices in Los Angeles (U.S.) in 2008, Sydney (Australia) in 2010, Suva (Fiji) in 2015, Denpasar (Indonesia) in 2017 and Boston (U.S.) in 2020. Our headquarters remain in the mountains of Queenstown, New Zealand.
Awards
Winner: AmCham-DHL Express Success & Resilience Award (2020)
Finalist: Institute of Risk Management’s Managing Risk Across Boundaries Award (2015)
Winner: Risk NZ’s Excellence in Managing Risk Across Boundaries Award (2015)
Our team
GFS is made up of an interdisciplinary leadership team and a global network of high-caliber, expert consultants.
Leadership Team
Julian Grimmond
Chief Executive Officer
Julian is a three-time Primetime Emmy® Award-winning producer, nominee for the Producers Guild of America (PGA) Television Producer of the Year Award and a member of both the PGA and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
He has produced and directed series for clients, including U.S. networks A+E, ABC, CBS, Discovery, Fox, National Geographic, and NBCUniversal, and holds executive producer credits for feature film Low Down Dirty Criminals (New Zealand) and documentary film Sculpting the Giant (Indonesia).
Julian has held senior governance roles, including six years as chair of Film New Zealand and two years as director of Auckland Film Studios.
He has produced and directed series for clients, including U.S. networks A+E, ABC, CBS, Discovery, Fox, National Geographic, and NBCUniversal, and holds executive producer credits for feature film Low Down Dirty Criminals (New Zealand) and documentary film Sculpting the Giant (Indonesia).
Julian has held senior governance roles, including six years as chair of Film New Zealand and two years as director of Auckland Film Studios.
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Frith O'Hagan
Chief Operating Officer
Frith is a former health services manager and nurse practitioner, with both clinical and medical research experience. She has worked with productions for nearly two decades since co-founding GFS.
As Chief Operating Officer, Frith oversees client service delivery and business administration. Her medical background is also applied to ensuring our medical services meet appropriate standards.
Frith has held senior governance roles including being regional chair of New Zealand’s Child Cancer Foundation.
As Chief Operating Officer, Frith oversees client service delivery and business administration. Her medical background is also applied to ensuring our medical services meet appropriate standards.
Frith has held senior governance roles including being regional chair of New Zealand’s Child Cancer Foundation.
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Simon Smith
General Counsel
Simon brings 20 years’ experience as a corporate and commercial lawyer, including at top tier law firms and multinational corporations.
Most recently he was senior legal counsel at FMCG giant Goodman Fielder and previously specialized in technology law for media and telecommunications clients at Chapman Tripp in Auckland, and as corporate counsel for Hitachi Data Systems in the UK.
Most recently he was senior legal counsel at FMCG giant Goodman Fielder and previously specialized in technology law for media and telecommunications clients at Chapman Tripp in Auckland, and as corporate counsel for Hitachi Data Systems in the UK.
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Wayne Wrigley
Head of Health & Safety
Wayne oversees GFS Risk’s health and safety standards and processes. He began his career serving as a police officer and police operational safety and defensive tactics instructor for 12 years, before retraining and working as an ambulance paramedic and a site medic for mining and offshore oil and gas operations. He then spent another 12 years working as a global health and safety manager for oil and gas production and offshore logistics contractors in West Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australasia, and South America.
In addition to holding various highly regarded health and safety qualifications, Wrigley has a Master’s degree in managing risk and system change from Trinity College Dublin.
In addition to holding various highly regarded health and safety qualifications, Wrigley has a Master’s degree in managing risk and system change from Trinity College Dublin.
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Greg Thomson
Director of People
Greg is an accomplished global HR professional having worked in various locations and industries. Prior to joining GFS, Greg most notably worked for 12 years within Hyundai Motor Company’s Global Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, and European Regional Headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany establishing Global HR systems and processes.
Greg completed a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) at Otago University. As Director of People, Greg is responsible for the full scope of Human Resource operations at GFS, including identification and deployment of our team of highly qualified Security, Safety and Medical Consultants globally.
Greg completed a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) at Otago University. As Director of People, Greg is responsible for the full scope of Human Resource operations at GFS, including identification and deployment of our team of highly qualified Security, Safety and Medical Consultants globally.
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Company News
GFS Risk certified by global anti-bribery, TRACE International
GFS Risk has obtained TRACE International’s certification following TRACE International completing a due diligence on GFS Risk’s business and practices.
Read moreGFS acquires rights for Ewan Wilson’s bestseller Dogfight
GFS is pleased to announce it has acquired the rights to take Ewan Wilson’s bestselling autobiographical book Dogfight: The Inside Story of the Kiwi Airlines Collapse to the screen.
Read moreGFS hires multidisciplinary expert for Head of Health & Safety role
Specialist in film production risk management, GFS, has hired former emergency services officer and global health and safety manager for offshore oil and gas operations, Wayne Wrigley.
Read moreGFS hires seasoned General Counsel to support expansion
Global film risk management and production services company GFS has hired former Goodman Fielder lawyer Simon Smith as its new General Counsel. The appointment comes as the firm expands its service offering to its portfolio of industry-leading clients.
Read moreGFS Risk wins American Chamber of Commerce award
GFS Risk has been awarded a 2020 AmCham-DHL Express Success and Resilience Award for its work on helping US productions to restart safely during the Covid-19 pandemic...
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