ETO is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jacqueline Gold, who has been the head of the Ann Summers business since the 1980s. She died aged 62 on 16th March after seven years of treatment for breast cancer.
A statement from Ms Gold’s family said: “It is with unspeakable sadness that Ann Summers confirm our amazing executive chair Jacqueline Gold CBE passed away yesterday evening with her husband Dan, daughter Scarlett, sister Vanessa, and brother-in-law Nick, by her side. She was… an activist for women in business, and championed female entrepreneurs with the ambition to better the working environment for women.”
Dale Bradford, who has been reporting on Ann Summers’ activities since 2003 for ETO, commented: “How absolutely tragic this must be for Jacqueline’s family and friends. All of us at ETO are deeply shocked at this dreadful news and our sincere condolences go out to all who knew her. She was an outstanding business leader and did so much to help the pleasure products sector become acceptable to mainstream society.”
Bradford recently published a book called From Sex Shops To Supermarkets: How Adult Toys Became A Multi-Billion-Pound Industry, and devoted the first chapter to Ann Summers. He concluded: “Whether I arranged the chapters of this book alphabetically, chronologically, or in order of importance, Ann Summers was always going to be number one… When it comes to popularising sex toys in the UK, Ann Summers has undoubtedly been a force for good. So too has Jacqueline Gold, who has done much to legitimise the sector as a whole, acting as a figurehead and frequently popping up in the financial press, making speeches at gatherings of business leaders, and championing other female-run enterprises through her social media channels.”
