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British lingerie and sex toy retailer Ann Summers has recently announced the passing of its former chief executive, Jaqueline Gold at age 62.
The business was part of her father David Gold’s empire and she joined the team in 1987 at the age of 19. Despite having little business experience, she wanted to make the chain aimed at women rather than men.
In a 2015 interview with the BBC, Gold recalled that during the early years of the business, only about 10% of customers were women. When she initially proposed the changes to the all-male board of directors at the time, they wouldn’t believe they could work with the new clientele because “women aren’t interested in sex”.
Despite the challenges, Gold managed to transform Ann Summers from a firm with only four shops into a multi-million pound high street business and quickly became one of the most famous female entrepreneurs in the UK. She became a CBE in 2015.
Over the past seven years, her family said, she fought against breast cancer, which has been confirmed as Gold’s cause of death.
In a statement, her family members said: “Jacqueline courageously battled stage 4 breast cancer for 7 years and was an absolute warrior throughout her cancer journey.
“In life she was a trailblazer, a visionary, and the most incredible woman, all of which makes this news that much harder to share.”
As of 2023, Ann Summers has 80 shops across the UK and Ireland.
