A champion for innovation, Jim Swanski drives digital transformation across Burns & McDonnell by advancing systems and data platforms that enable employee-owners to best serve clients.

After beginning his career in the U.S. Navy, Jim joined Burns & McDonnell and has played a key role in transforming the firm’s technology organization. With more than 25 years of experience spanning enterprise IT, construction technology and 1898 & Co., Jim built a career around implementing technology solutions supporting complex projects and evolving business needs. 

In the community:

Jim is passionate about youth sports, serving for seven years as a head coach and board member for the Connecticut River Lacrosse Club.

What inspired you to pursue your career?

After serving in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force as a chief nuclear engineer, with our second son on the way, I was looking to serve in other ways. Ross Perot, a 1992 presidential candidate, offered me my first technology job. I was instantly hooked on combining creativity with a love for data to build highly valuable business solutions. My favorite part of technology is building for change, seeing how systems and tools can nurture lasting business impact.  

How would you describe your leadership style?

Empowering. I want to empower our employee-owners with great solutions to design and build the critical infrastructure of tomorrow.

What excites you most when you look at the future of our company?

I am most excited about the potential of AI and how it will unify and amplify everything that makes this place great: our people.

What excites you most when you look at the future of infrastructure and the construction industry?

I’m excited to see what our employee-owners — knowledgeable in both construction and technology — can do to dramatically increase productivity. They’ll use new technologies to procure the right material, equipment and work packages for our skilled craft labor force at the right time, such that we can build faster, more efficiently and, most importantly, safer.