As Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold passes away at 62, a look at how she has empowered women

When you think of Ann Summers, you automatically think of their rather raunchy lingerie and sex toys. However, not many consider Jacqueline Gold, who was the head of the firm. She passed away at the age of 62 after seven years of treatment for breast cancer.

According to the BBC, “Ms. Gold is credited from transforming the firm from four backstreet shops into a multi-million pound business with outlets access the UK. She was made a CBE in 2016 for services to entrepreneurship, women in business and social enterprise.”

I have long been an admirer of Jacqueline Gold and love how she views the brand as a way of empowering women. In 2022, she discussed with Drapers how when Ann Summers was created, “women were too embarrassed to go in and buy what they wanted for themselves.” She then said: ”From there I think we almost created a movement as we were growing so fast, whereby women found their voice, took back control and knew what they wanted, and that empowerment evolved from the bedroom right the way into the workplace.”

Over the years, high-profile stars such as Vicky Pattison and Maura Higgins have modelled for Ann Summers, and most recently Love Island star Tasha Ghouri showcased lingerie sets from the brand as part of their Valentine’s Day campaign.