Rear Admiral James Watson

James Watson serves as President and COO for the Americas Division of ABS, responsible for all operations of the American Bureau of Shipping in the Western Hemisphere.

Prior to joining ABS, Watson served as Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement at the US Department of the Interior, providing regulatory oversight for energy exploration and production on the US Outer Continental Shelf. Before that, he served as the US Coast Guard's Director of Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship, with responsibilities including commercial vessel safety and security, ports and cargo safety and security, and maritime investigations, and was designated Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the government-wide response to the Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

Watson earned a Bachelor's of Science in Marine Engineering from USCGA in 1978, received his Master of Science in Naval Architecture and his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1985, and earned an additional Master of Science in Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in 2001.