NEW YORK's TOP BUSINESS PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

Linda Rothschild
Founder, President
Cross It Off Your List

Having offered services to help people manage and organize their lives since 1990, Rothschild launched her concierge division in 1999. Sales have been "explosive," and the new division handles travel arrangements, theater tickets, restaurant reservations and assorted errands.

Business is booming at T1 speed across Manhattan, so selecting The Big 100 - the Resident's first-annual Top New York Business People of the Year - was a more daunting tasks than we imagined when the idea was hatched last December. Just as there is no one key to business success, there was no single factor to determine selection to our list.

Fortunately, we had a bevy of local experts in 18 fields as divers as new media and fashion as a nominating committee. When the names were in, it seemed that we were on our way to compiling a Big 1000 list.

There were no hostile takeover or forced buy outs. In the end, after scrutinizing profit-loss sheets and stock quotes, and the painful down-sizing of countless worthy nominees, 115 names remained on the editorial department's chalkboard.

After a spirited debate among our editorial staff and publishers, Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin, who navigated Time Warner's extraordinary merger with AOL across the financial shoals, was named New York Business Person of the Year. The next 100 made partner, and the remaining fifteen honorees were given golden parachutes on our honorable-mention list.

Those appearing in these pages come from the fields of advertising, arts and entertainment, banking and finance, building and development, communications, education, fashion, health, insurance, law, new media, nonprofits, real estate, retail, sports, and tourism.

They were chosen because of the noteworthy success they've enjoyed over the past 15 months while improving the city as a result of their personal achievements and business acumen. Collectively, we think they've changed the face of Manhattan for the better through their innovation, leadership and vision.