The Lord Ashfield | |
|---|---|
 Lord Ashfield by Hugh Cecil, c. 1920 | |
| Chairman of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London/London Passenger Transport Board | |
| In office 30 May 1919 – 31 October 1947 | |
| Preceded by | Lord George Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Latham |
| President of the Board of Trade | |
| In office 10 December 1916 – 26 May 1919 | |
| Prime Minister | David Lloyd George |
| Preceded by | Walter Runciman |
| Succeeded by | Sir Auckland Geddes |
| Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne | |
| In office 23 December 1916 – 31 January 1920 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Max Aitken |
| Succeeded by | Sir Walter de Frece |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Albert Henry Knattriess 8 August 1874 New Normanton, Derbyshire, England |
| Died | 4 November 1948 (aged 74) London, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Grace Lowrey (m. 1904) |
| Children | 2 |
Albert Henry Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield, TD, PC (8 August 1874 – 4 November 1948), born Albert Henry Knattriess, was a British-American businessman who was managing director, then chairman of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) from 1910 to 1933 and chairman of the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) from 1933 to 1947.
Although born in Britain, his early career was in the United States, where, at a young age, he held senior positions in the developing tramway systems of Detroit and New Jersey. In 1898, he served in the United States Navy during the short Spanish–American War.
In 1907, his management skills led to his recruitment by the UERL, which was struggling through a financial crisis that threatened its existence. He quickly integrated the company's management and used advertising and public relations to improve profits. As managing director of the UERL from 1910, he led the takeover of competing underground railway companies and bus and tram operations to form an integrated transport operation known as the Combine.
He was Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne from December 1916 to January 1920. He was President of the Board of Trade between December 1916 and May 1919, reorganising the board and establishing specialist departments for various industries. He returned to the UERL and then chaired it and its successor the LPTB during the organisation's most significant period of expansion in the interwar period, making it a world-respected organisation considered an exemplar of the best form of public administration.