#95: Christine Specht, CEO of Cousins Subs
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. She has held the roles of Human Resources Manager, Chief Operating Officer, President and CEO, and she now serves as the company’s CEO.
As President and CEO, she successfully brought new life to a legacy brand by leading a series of system changes, including: a largescale rebranding strategy to establish consistency and unify the brand in look and feel across all locations, implementation of grills in all restaurants and inclusion of Cousins Subs’ Midwest heritage throughout its menu with signature local products including subs served with all Wisconsin cheeses.
Specht strengthened Cousins Subs’ unit-level economics, created a strong core of franchise partners and positioned the organization for growth in the Midwest. In 2018, she was honored as one of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Women of Influence and recognized in FastCasual magazine’s “Women in the Lead” series.
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