our LEADERSHIP
Christine Specht grew up with Cousins Subs — the sub sandwich chain her dad, Bill Specht, founded with his cousin two years before she was born. In 2008, she became the President and Chief Operating Officer of Cousins Subs and in 2015 assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer following her father’s retirement. In this role, she successfully brought new life to a legacy brand by leading a series of system changes, including a largescale rebranding strategy, implementation of grills in all restaurants, and inclusion of the brand’s Midwest heritage with signature local products throughout its menu. Under Specht’s leadership she strengthened the brand’s unit-level economics, created a strong core of franchise partners, and positioned Cousins Subs for growth. In January 2019, Specht transitioned from her two-part role to narrow in on her responsibilities as CEO. In this leadership role she remains the visionary for the brand, focusing on building a strong culture throughout Cousins Subs system while continuing to lead growth and strategy. Specht also leads the brand in helping to adapt to the ever-changing needs of guests through advancements in technology and innovation.
Specht earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology and law studies from Marquette University. While she worked toward her master’s degree in public administration from American University in Washington, D.C., she spent time in the human resources departments of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington. Specht serves as the Chair of Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor’s Foundation Board, a director of The Management Association (MRA), a director of the First Federal Bank of Wisconsin (FFBW), a director on the FFBW Community Foundation, a director of Serigraph, Inc. and is the President of Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation board. Specht has received the Cum Deo award from the Lutheran High School Association in 2017 in honor of her Christian service and accomplishments in business. In 2021, Specht received the CHART (Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers) Commitment to People Award and in 2022, was honored as one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Business Leaders by BizTimes.
Jason Westhoff joined Cousins Subs in 2012 as Chief Financial Officer, responsible for accounting and finance with a heavy involvement in defining and developing technology strategies into executable and measurable results. His focus was on Cousins Subs’ growth strategy through organic and inorganic channels and developing systems to achieve greater profitability. He also oversaw the implementation of a new point-of-sale system in all restaurants. As a result of Westhoff’s proven leadership and expertise, he assumed the role of President in 2019. In addition to executing the CEO’s vision for the brand and making the day-to-day business decisions, his core responsibilities are to develop systems, build efficiencies, and lead teams to execute core objectives.
As a former CFO for a large multi-unit franchise partner of Applebee’s and Pizza Hut, Westhoff brings more than 10 years of prior franchising experience to Cousins Subs. He also has more than 25 years of financial and business experience from his time working in financial services, home improvement services, manufacturing, recruiting, and software development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Luther College, an MBA from Northern Illinois University, and he’s completed an executive M&A program through the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a recipient of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s CFO of the Year award.
Joe Ferguson has been with Cousins Subs for 19 years, and he has more than 25 years of experience in real estate and franchise sales. In June 2011, he assumed the role of Vice President of Development and has since been instrumental in reinventing the brand. Since he began overseeing Cousins Subs’ franchise development initiatives, he implemented a store remodeling programs and processes to ensure all restaurants follow brand standards. Ferguson manages franchisee recruitment, overseeing all phases of franchising including: site acquisition, lease negotiations, in-store design and construction. Ferguson’s leadership and experience have helped entrepreneurs realize their dream of owning their own business. He holds a degree in real estate and finance from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. In July of 2024, he assumed the role of Executive Vice President and manages Development, Purchasing and Information Technology.
J.J. Grube began his career at Cousins Subs in January 2017 as the Director of Finance. However, he’s no novice to the restaurant industry. He came to the organization with more than 15 years of restaurant experience, serving in finance- and analytics-driven roles including with the largest restaurant franchisee in the state of Wisconsin and largest restaurant company in the USA. In January 2019, Grube was named Vice President of Finance and joined the Leadership Team at Cousins Subs and in July 2020 was named Vice President of Operations & Finance. In August 2025 JJ returned to Cousins, after a two-year departure, in the role of CFO. In his current role he oversees the finance team to help provide data to make better decisions to move the company forward. Grube holds a Bachelor of Arts in accounting from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point.
Hilary Krekling grew up with Cousins Subs as the daughter of franchisees. She began her official career at Cousins Subs in April 2006 working in-store before interning at the Corporate Support Center in 2013 and was hired the following year as a Training Coordinator. Less than a year later, Krekling was promoted to Area Director and ensured operational excellence and profitability across 11 locations. Krekling was promoted to Director of Operations in June 2020 after leading and seamlessly navigating the operations team through the uncertainty of Covid-19. As Director of Operations, Krekling oversaw all corporate locations and led the team of Area Directors. In October 2023, Krekling joined the Cousins Subs Leadership Team as the Vice President of Operations. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the operations department at the Cousins Subs Corporate Support Center.
J.J. Palmert joined Cousins Subs as the Franchise Sales Manager in 2013. In this role, he evaluated and renewed existing franchise agreements and worked to exit those franchise partners who did not meet brand standards. Palmert has successfully renewed or transferred more than 50 franchise agreements throughout his tenure, in which he secured each brand partner’s commitment to reinvest through the adoption of the brand’s remodeling program. These efforts have led to higher Average Unit Volumes throughout the Cousins Subs system.
Palmert is consistently engaged in the expansion of Cousins Subs into new Midwest markets through multi-unit franchise development. He works with franchise candidates to identify if Cousins Subs is the right investment opportunity and select the ideal territory for development. Additionally, he works with existing franchise partners to develop new locations, acquire existing locations, or sell their locations. In September of 2014, J.J. assumed the role of Director of Development and has taken an active role in the companies real estate portfolio as well as franchise sales.
