Sir Henry Harben (24 August 1823 - 2 December 1911) was a businessman and politician. Born in Bloomsbury, he was the son of a cheesemonger. In 1851 Harben he joined the board of the Prudential Mutual Assurance Investment and Loan Association, which had been struggling since its establishment in 1848. Harben, by reorganising the business, lobbying government and moving into providing services for the working classes, turned it into a highly profitable company. He rose to be deputy chairman in 1878, by which time the Prudential were insuring a quarter of the British population.