A CPA's Journey: From Customer to Controller
When Nina Blumenstock sat on her front porch eating her Jersey Mike’s sub as a child, she never imagined she would one day be the controller of Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, headquartered in Manasquan. Fast forward to achieving her bachelor’s degree in accounting (with a fraud and forensic concentration) from Rider University and having study dates with her husband, Jason, to pass the CPA Exam — Nina, now a CPA, credits a few people for getting her there.
The Early Years
At Rider University, Nina met Dr. Dorothy McMullen, associate professor of accounting,who led the business, fraud and forensics department. Her professor’s passion for teaching combined with an ability to create real-life examples, including a memorable audit competition in Philadelphia, led Nina to choose a career in accounting and never look back.
“I love how accounting always has to work. Debits have to equal your credits. There’s no gray area, in a sense. Everything is black and white which, if you know me, is my personality,” Nina says. “I have always loved math, algebra and physics, which is very math driven.” During an internship at Johnson & Johnson via a coop program in her junior year, Nina had a great work experience and learned a lot of Excel skills. That proved to be handy when coming out of school and landing a job at EY as a staff accountant.
“I learned a lot at EY. At first, I loved it, but the commute (from Point Pleasant Beach to Jersey City and South Plainfield) was hard,” explains Nina, now a mom to Caden (age 5) and Olivia (age 2). “Family is important to me,” she adds. After two years, Nina realized she had a lot to
contribute to the corporate side of accounting and took a job as a staff accountant at Jersey Mike’s.
That leap of faith was encouraged by her husband, who persuaded her to apply, and Jersey Mike’s CFO Walter Tombs, CPA, (also an NJCPA member) who told her to trust him when she was nervous to accept the offer. Now, after 10 years working for Tombs, she admits it was the best decision she could have made. “I moved up the ranks quickly because I worked really hard and proved myself to Walter that I could handle it. With Walter and other CPAs’ guidance, I was able to learn and excel at JM,” she explains.
Perfect Fit
Nina’s determination was also a great match for Jersey Mike’s. “I take accounting very seriously. I like the problem solving of it,” she admits. “When I’m doing reconciliations, it’s almost like a game to me. Every single day I am helping someone in the various departments at JM whether it’s calculating the Month of Giving Charitable donations or improving processes in the accounting department.”
When Jersey Mike’s was acquired by Blackstone for $8 billion in January 2025, she worked on the financial part of the transaction as well as the accounting end. “With a CPA, you can do both accounting and finance, but with just finance, you can’t really do accounting,” she says. “At a smaller company, you are going to see that crossover but now as JM grows, I’m happy to become the controller and focus on the accounting side.’”
Being skilled in Excel also makes her job easier. “I will look at something and say, we can do that better,” she says, which helps add efficiencies and automation at Jersey Mike’s.
Nina’s job is also the perfect fit for her family, though her husband, Jason, also a CPA, understands the demands of such a role. “We got engaged when I was studying,” she admits. “Studying for the CPA shows your drive. I think it’s a huge part of your career path.”