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ATLANTA, GA — H. J. Russell & Company is pleased to announce that Seth Watson has joined the company as Vice President of Critical Facility Modernization. Reporting to Michael Swick, Senior Vice President of Operations, Watson will lead Russell’s critical facility modernization efforts, with an initial focus on active data center modernization.
Watson brings more than 23 years of construction industry experience, with a background in construction management, preconstruction, design-build delivery, and project execution. Throughout his career, he has led and supported complex projects from early development through execution, with extensive experience working within active facilities where careful planning, coordination, safety, and operational continuity are essential.
His experience spans projects ranging from $50 million to $500 million across the United States. He also led a $100 million international project from development through execution and supported approximately $500 million in annual project volume through financial and risk oversight. His background also includes industrial facility expansions, commercial renovations, and construction at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport within an active airport environment.
“I am excited to welcome Seth Watson to Russell to lead our critical facility modernization efforts, with an initial focus on active data centers,” said Michael Swick, Senior Vice President of Operations at H. J. Russell & Company. “Seth brings extensive operational experience in advanced and critical facilities, along with a strong focus on operational excellence that will strengthen our ability to deliver complex modernization work and support continued growth in a market that will play an important role in helping Russell reach its North Star.”
In his role, Watson will provide leadership across preconstruction, operations, project execution, and field teams while helping advance Russell’s work in active data center modernization, industrial, and other critical facility environments. He will also work with company leadership on operational priorities, long-range planning, financial performance, staffing, risk management, and the continued development of the teams supporting this work.
“I am excited to join H. J. Russell & Company, an organization with a longstanding legacy in construction, and build on its success in this next phase of growth,” said Watson. “My focus is on bringing the tools, leadership, and strategic vision needed to implement scalable, seamless, and systemized workflows that drive operational excellence, empower our teams, and position the organization for sustainable, long-term success.”
Watson earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technologies from Southern Polytechnic State University and is a Certified Construction Manager (CCM). His technical background, combined with more than two decades of experience managing complex work in active operating environments, brings added depth to Russell’s approach to critical facility modernization.
Seth Watson, Vice President, Critical Facility Modernization
