Jacqueline Gold has never been afraid to push the boundaries of what is expected. Whether it has been in launching the Ann Summers Party Plan in 1981 or earning herself a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to entrepreneurship, women in business and social enterprise, she has always prided herself on the fact that her women-only parties created a female institution. “Brand perception will always be an ongoing challenge for us. Running a brand like Ann Summers means that everyone has a view about what we do – positive and negative. Our constant challenge is to inform those with a negative view what it is we stand for as a brand in 2016 and challenge the outdated perceptions they may have,” she says.