Susan Walsh

The Classification Guru Founder & Managing Director

Susan Walsh, also known as The Classification Guru, is a leading expert in data cleaning, classification, and supplier normalisation. As the founder and driving force behind The Classification Guru Ltd, Susan and her team have helped over 90 organisations worldwide clean, classify, and normalise their data, making it more Consistent, Organised, Accurate, and Trustworthy through her proprietary COAT framework. With more than 13 years of experience in data and a proven track record of delivering business value, Susan is widely recognised for her expertise in spend data classification and supplier normalisation. In 2024, she launched Samification, an innovative self-service tool that empowers businesses to take control of their supplier data with ease. Before making her mark in the data world, Susan built a career in sales and ran her own clothing boutique, experiences that sharpened her entrepreneurial instincts and deepened her understanding of business challenges. These unique insights now fuel her mission to make data relatable, accessible, and just the right amount of sassy. Susan is the author of Between the Spreadsheets: Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data and the creator of popular online courses on Pluralsight and O’Reilly. Her TEDx talk, "Say NO to NO", further showcases her passion for demystifying data and inspiring change. A sought-after speaker at global data and procurement events, Susan is a trusted partner in helping organisations unlock the true value of clean, reliable data and achieve lasting data excellence.