The founder of fashion brand Superdry has been appointed chief executive on a permanent basis as his control is extended for a further 18 months.

Julian Dunkerton, who wrested back control of the boardroom after heavily criticising the previous management, will now have the extra time to push through his "design-led" overhaul.

Chairman Peter Williams said: "Julian has a clear vision and his creativity, ambition and leadership will be crucial for the turnaround of the business.

"As interim CEO, Julian has already been working closely with the team to execute this plan and, while much remains to be done, the necessary foundations are being laid."

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He added that the extra time also means the pair can look for a long-term successor.

Mr Dunkerton said: "Since I have returned to the business full-time, I have been working with the team to put in place the plan that will turn around Superdry, with a focus on its design-led roots and strengthening the retail basics.

"We are already seeing early signs of progress and, while this will take time, we are excited to realise the brand's full potential."

Mr Dunkerton's base pay will remain at £600,000 a year, excluding any bonuses.

In July, he revealed his first set of results since returning to the group - a loss before tax of £85.4 million for the year to April 27, compared with a £65.3 million profit this time last year.

On an underlying basis, pre-tax profits dropped 56.8% to £41.9 million. Revenue was flat at £871.7 million.

Asos investors are expected to cheer surging revenue as the online retailer looks to bounce back from a string of profit warnings.

Investors in the retailer have had a reality check over the past 12 months, watching shares in slide by more than 50%.

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The company plunged in value after it warned on profits in December 2018 and July 2019, as it failed to live up to lofty expectations.

However, the company is still expected to post double-figure sales growth in its full-year results on Wednesday.

Analysts have forecast that Asos will report a 12% jump in revenues to £2.7 billion for the year to August.

Competition for skilled staff is forcing companies' hands to make more acquisitions, outweighing a backdrop of global uncertainty which is pushing down on deals, experts have said.

Research from consultancy EY shows that 52% of senior executives think their business will actively pursue deals in the next 12 month.

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The figure is a 7 percentage point drop on the last time EY questioned chief executives and finance chiefs on their plans, but is up from 46% in October last year.

Companies recognise they need to transform to compete in a modern economy, and acquisitions give them a quick way to get new talent, Steve Krouskos told the PA news agency.

"There's such intense competition for talent, and for technology, to create ... competitive advantage, and that's forcing the buy versus build decision that companies are always faced with," he said.