Mr Bird has been promoted from his previous position as business development manager for Victoria and Tasmania.
Lifeplan said he will continue to work with key relationships within the Victorian market while the company looks for a replacement.
He has a total of 27 years of experience across various banking and financial planning roles, including advice quality manager at Colonial First State and 11 years as a senior financial planner at Commonwealth Financial Planning.
Lifeplan head of specialised product sales Derek Emery said the growth within the team is a reflection of the re-emergence of interest from financial planning groups and advisers in the use of investment bonds.
“For many advisers, this has been a forgotten tax structure until recently, and for others it is a brand new opportunity opening up alternative solutions for clients,” said Mr Emery.
“Greg’s appointment increases the experience and depth of the leadership team within Lifeplan Funds Management and provides additional technical and sales support to the BDM team.”
