Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold dies aged 62
Jacqueline Gold the boss of lingerie brand Ann Summers has died aged 62, her family has said.
Heartfelt tributes have been paid to the businesswoman who passed away on Thursday evening following a seven-year battle with cancer.
She was heralded as a “brilliant retailer and champion of champion of women in business”, as her family put out a statement announcing her death with “unspeakable sadness”.
Her sister Vanessa shared it on Twitter, saying she “passed away yesterday evening with her husband Dan, daughter Scarlett, sister Vanessa, and brother-in-law Nick, by her side.”
“Jacqueline courageously battled stage four breast cancer for seven years and was an absolute warrior throughout her cancer journey.”
Gold first began working with the brand, which specialises in women’s lingerie and sex toys, in the 1980s when she joined her father David Gold in the family-run business.
She was honored with a CBE in the 2016 New Year Honours for her achievements in entrepreneurship and social enterprise.
Heartfelt tributes came in from across the business world, with Dragons’ Den star Theo calling her a “lovely lady”.
Meanwhile, West Ham Football Club, which her father David Gold owned, said it was “deeply saddened” by the loss.
Iceland boss Richard Walker called her a “brilliant retailer, and champion of women in business.”
