Admiral James (Jim) Watson
Admiral James (Jim) Watson
Board Member
Jim Watson, recently retired, served as Senior Vice President, Government of ABS. He was responsible for the government market sector including survey operations, service delivery and technology. Most recently, Watson was President and COO for the Americas Division.
Prior to joining ABS, Watson served as Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement at the US Department of Interior. In this role he provided regulatory oversight for energy exploration and production on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Before becoming BSEE Director, Watson served as the US Coast Guard’s Director of Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship, where his responsibilities included commercial vessel safety and security, ports and cargo safety and security and maritime investigations. He was also designated as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the government-wide response to the Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico.
Watson earned a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering from USCGA in 1978. He received his master’s degree in naval architecture and his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1985. Watson earned an additional master’s degree in strategic studies at the National Defense University in 2001.
