About Susana Costa

The auditor who fell in love with brands

Over a decade inside British Airways, Nationwide and EY, finding the gaps that hold businesses back. Now I help founders close them.

Read My Story
Susana Costa
Susana Costa Founder, The Brand Auditor
Surrey, UK

I spent a decade finding gaps in big businesses. Now I help small ones close them, starting with their brand.

Hi, I'm Susana. I'm a brand strategist, former IT auditor, and lifelong student of human behaviour based in Surrey, UK.

Before I became The Brand Auditor, I spent over a decade inside some of the UK's most resilient institutions, going behind the curtain, speaking to people at every level, and figuring out exactly why certain businesses thrive while others stagnate.

The answer, almost always, came back to brand.

Experience from

British AirwaysInternal Audit
NationwideIT Audit Manager
Ernst & YoungSenior Consultant
University of MadeiraComputer Science Eng.
My story

Not a typical brand strategist. Not by a long way.

01

It started with human behaviour

At university, in my computer engineering degree, I studied human factors: the science of how perception, bias, and unconscious behaviour shape whether a product, process, or company succeeds or fails. It was the first time I understood that most failures aren't technical. They're human.

02

A decade inside big brands

From British Airways to Nationwide to EY, my job was to go behind the curtain. Talk to everyone. Find the gaps. Understand what was really going on. I discovered that the organisations built to last all had one thing in common: they knew exactly who they were.

03

Always a student of business

For as long as I can remember, I've read obsessively about branding, management, human behaviour, and personal development. Not because I had to — because I genuinely couldn't stop. The patterns across industries, across cultures, were endlessly fascinating.

04

The moment it came together

I realised my audit brain — methodical, gap-finding, evidence-based — combined with a deep love of creativity and human behaviour gave me a genuinely unique lens. One that could help small business owners build something they're truly proud of.

"I believe we all have the potential to build something extraordinary. For a long time, I lacked someone to believe in me. Now, supporting others to bring their dreams to life is the most meaningful work I've ever done."

I founded The Brand Auditor because I saw a gap — passionate, talented founders working incredibly hard, but feeling stagnant, unclear, or like their business wasn't reflecting who they really were. They didn't need another marketing template. They needed someone to go behind the curtain with them.

My approach is different because my background is different. I don't start with your logo or your Instagram grid. I start by understanding your purpose, your people, and the gaps between where you are and where you're capable of going. Then we build from there — methodically, creatively, and in a way that feels true to you.

The journey

Twelve years in the making.

2024 — Present
Founder — The Brand Auditor
Surrey, UK

Brand strategy and transformation for small business owners and passionate entrepreneurs ready to build brands that are authentic, aligned, and built to grow.

2022 – 2024
IT Audit Manager
Nationwide Building Society

Strengthened business processes, safeguarded brand reputation, and mitigated risk at one of the UK's most trusted financial institutions. Worked at executive level translating complex findings into strategic action.

2015 – 2020
Internal Auditor
British Airways

Five years inside one of the world's most iconic brands — delivering audits across IT, financial, and operational risk in a cross-functional, multicultural environment.

2012 – 2015
IT Risk & Assurance Senior Consultant
Ernst & Young

Advisory and audit across Spain, Portugal, and Angola. Implementing IT governance frameworks and translating best practice into operational reality for multinational clients.

Education
BSc Computer Engineering
University of Madeira · Brand Management, Coursera (Darden/UVA)

A foundation in human factors, systems thinking, and the science of how people interact with the world around them — the thread that runs through everything.

What I believe

The principles behind the work

Rigour over guesswork

Great branding isn't intuition dressed up as strategy. It's built on understanding — your purpose, your people, your gaps. I bring an auditor's discipline to every engagement.

Clarity before creativity

A beautiful brand built on an unclear foundation will wobble. We get the why right first — then the how follows naturally and sustainably.

Authenticity above all

The most powerful brands aren't the loudest. They're the most honest. I help you build something that genuinely reflects who you are — and attracts people who connect with that.

Who I love working with

Passionate founders who started something because they believed in it

Not for the money — though that matters too. But because they have a product, a service, or an idea they genuinely love, and they want the world to see it the way they do.

I work best with small business owners who are feeling stagnant, unclear, or like their business has outgrown the brand they started with. People who are brilliant at what they do — and ready to stop blending in.

Freelancers & sole traders Service-based businesses First-time entrepreneurs Founders in transition Creative businesses Purpose-led brands

Based in Surrey, UK. Working with founders everywhere.

Ready to find out what your brand is missing?

Take the free Brand Audit Checklist to find out, then book a free 30-minute Brand Clarity Call to talk through what you find. No pressure, no pitch.

Take the Free Brand Audit Book FREE Clarity Call

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