City of London Dragon

A symbol of strength and power, 14 silver dragons protect the boundaries of the City of London financial district.

Why De Havilands exists

For 25 years, Marcus Syben built Excel solutions inside and alongside financial services firms — from investment banks and asset managers to FX dealers and private equity. He watched the same problems repeat themselves everywhere he worked: manual processes that consumed senior people's time, models that only one person understood, workbooks that had grown into something nobody dared touch.

The firms that needed help most weren't the large banks with dedicated development teams. They were the mid-tier firms — 20 to 100 people, operationally dependent on Excel, with no in-house Excel expertise and a small IT team of generalists who couldn't solve the problem.

De Havilands exists to serve those firms. Not to sell them software they don't need, or to replace Excel with something more complex. But to make their Excel work properly — permanently, not just for one project.

What makes De Havilands different

There are a lot of Excel freelancers. There are very few Excel specialists with 25 years of financial services experience, a globally recognised Excel credential, and a proven track record working with some of the world's leading financial institutions.

  • Microsoft Excel MVP — Marcus holds MVP status for Excel, awarded by Microsoft to fewer than 200 people worldwide. It's the highest independent recognition of Excel expertise that exists.
  • Financial services depth — 25 years working inside and alongside investment banks, asset managers, FX dealers, and private equity firms. We understand your regulatory environment, your data structures, and the operational stakes involved.
  • Proven outcomes — a £170 million reduction in Risk Weighted Assets for a major European investment bank. A 631% ROI on a single automation project for a London asset manager. These aren't estimates — they're measured results from real engagements.
  • A firm, not a freelancer — De Havilands is a registered company with the structure, contracts, and professional standards that regulated financial services firms expect from their suppliers.

Marcus Syben

Principal Consultant & Microsoft Excel MVP (Most Valued Professional)

Marcus Syben — Principal Consultant & Microsoft Excel MVP

Marcus has spent 25 years delivering Excel solutions to financial services firms across the UK, Europe, and Australia. His work spans investment banking, asset management, FX trading, insurance, and private equity — environments where Excel errors have real financial and regulatory consequences.

His most significant single engagement involved rebuilding a risk calculation model for one of Europe's largest investment banks, resulting in a £170 million reduction in Risk Weighted Assets and an estimated £11 million P&L improvement. More typically, the impact is measured in hours reclaimed and processes that now run in minutes instead of "days.

Marcus was awarded Microsoft Excel MVP status — one of fewer than 200 holders of that credential globally — in recognition of his contributions to the Excel community through forums, articles, and peer support. As one community member put it: "Kudos to Marcus Syben. That's the most elegant, well-structured explanation I've seen for this sometimes maddening function."

He and his business partner Isabelle, founded De Havilands to make senior Excel expertise accessible to the mid-tier financial services firms that need it most but have historically been unable to justify a dedicated in-house hire.

Client Success Stories

I didn’t appreciate how easy it was to work with Marcus until I had to work with other developers

Jamie C. ● Management Consultant

Very rarely can someone interpret ideas so well as Marcus has.

Frank F. ● Company Director

I wanted to thank you again for all your help and advice .. [it].. has really been a gamechanger.

Holly C ● Principal Consultant

Free Download

Unlock Proven Excel Solutions for Financial Services Efficiency

Discover how Excel automation can drive measurable results. This exclusive portfolio showcases over 30 high-impact projects, each designed to streamline workflows, save time, and reduce operational risks for financial services firms. Download now to see real examples of how we’ve helped financial services firms like yours achieve ROI gains of up to 631%.

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