Robert Strange McNamara (1916-2009) was an American business executive and politician. His career began at the Ford Motor Company, where, as part of the "Whiz Kids" group, he applied modern management techniques, becoming its president in 1960. The following year, he was appointed Secretary of Defense, a position he held until 1968 under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. He was a central figure in the escalation of the Vietnam War, applying an approach based on statistical analysis to the conduct of the war. Subsequently, from 1968 to 1981, he served as President of the World Bank, leading the institution toward a greater commitment to fighting global poverty. In his later works, such as the memoir "In Retrospect" and the documentary "The Fog of War," he critically re-examined his actions, expressing regret for the decisions made during the war. Among his honors is the Presidential Medal of Freedom.