Daily Front Row

2010 October 29

View From the Top

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Joanna Coles, Laura Linney
BEN GABBE/PatrickMcMullan.com View Gallery

(NEW YORK) “There are so many lovely women in the room here today that I think we’d give even Don Draper an aneurysm,” declared Joanna Coles during the Marie Claire Women On Top Awards Thursday afternoon. The Gansevoort Park Avenue Penthouse was filled with plenty of girl talk, as guests gathered to celebrate 18 working women selected by Marie Claire for their admirable contributions to society. Host Laura Linney explained, “Working on The Big C, I spend countless hours thinking about time and how we choose to spend it. These women have achieved so much all before they turned 40. So really, they have only just begun.”

The women’s accomplishments were humbling as Linney listed them, which included designing cars, arresting an international terrorist, and cutting carbon emissions in India by 20 percent. Coles explained the goal was to celebrate women making change in traditionally male-dominated industries. She noted, “What we discovered was that regardless of what these women were doing, they were doing it with an incredible amount of passion, and they all share the ability to embrace risk.” As the roast chicken was served Coles added, “All these women have the potential to be a future president, so as you’re eating your lunch, start sucking up now!”
EMILY POPP