4th June 2014

Interviewing Jacqueline Gold

London, UK

The lady behind the Ann Summers brand was on stage last week being interviewed at Google Campus in Central London. I managed to take my seat early – just as well as nearly 200 people, mainly young entrepreneurs, crammed in to a hall which could only take about 100 – so it was standing for the latecomers. Jacqueline Gold was interviewed by a representative of a start up organisation who asked her about how she started in business. I’m sure she’s told her story this to many audiences up-an-down the country, and, no doubt overseas. Two facts stuck have stuck in my head…

1. More people attend Ann Summers parties than watch Manchester United home matches over a season

2. She’s passionate about empowering women

Along with a few others in the audience, I tweeted some of her comments in the “back-channel” – the most memorable was “having the right people on board who share your values is critical” and her acronym for hiring people P.R.I.D.E. which stands for Passionate, Respectful, Inclusive, Daring, Expert