Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold dies aged 62
Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold has died at the age of 62, her family has said.
The entrepreneur was best known for heading the lingerie and sex toy retailer, which she grew into a successful high street brand with more than 80 stores.
Her family said she died on Thursday evening after seven years of treatment for breast cancer.
Ms Gold expanded Ann Summers from a firm with four backstreet shops into a multi-million pound business. She was made a CBE in 2016 for services to entrepreneurship, women in business and social enterprise.
Ann Summers CEO and Jacqueline’s sister, Vanessa, said: “Jacqueline courageously battled stage 4 breast cancer for seven 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 bear.
The first Ann Summers shop opened in 1971, and the business was bought by Ms Gold’s father and his brother Ralph the following year.
Ms Gold first joined her family’s firm as an intern in the 1980’s and set about transforming the brand by making it more female-friendly. Gold was an activist for women in business, championing female entrepreneurs and, through sharing her own experiences, tried to empower woman and gender equality.
Her death comes just two months after her father, David Gold, who was joint-chairman of West Ham United, died at the age of 86.
The sincere condolences and thoughts of everyone at The Retail Bulletin are with Jacqueline’s husband Dan, daughter Scarlett, sister Vanessa and the entire Gold family at this sad and difficult time.
