Sports fashion retailer Superdry co-founder Julian Dunkerton will exit the company to spend more time on charity work and his other business interests.

Dunkerton, who was chief executive of Superdry up until 2014, has informed the board he will be stepping down from his position as director effective March 31.

“With other demands on my time it is the right point for me to transition my focus and responsibilities,” said Dunkerton, who founded the business with Ian Hibbs in 1985.

“I am immensely proud of everything achieved at Superdry over the past fifteen years,” he added. “As a fast-growing, innovative business, Superdry has always evolved to ensure it keeps delivering.”

Dunkerton has also pledged to give more than £1 million (AUD$1.84 million) of Superdry shares to conservation charity The Blue Marine Foundation.

Peter Bamford, Superdry chairman, said he and Dunkerton had been talking for some time about the right time for him to move on.

“I would like to thank Julian for his outstanding contribution in building Superdry into such a great brand,” Bamford said.

Chris Gorell Barnes, co-founder and CEO of the Blue Marine Foundation, said they are grateful to Dunkerton for his support of the foundation.

“This will enable us to roll out our model of sustainable fishing which both revives marine life and means that fishermen can earn more for fishing less,” Barnes said.

The Blue Marine Foundation is a UK registered charity that exists to protect the country’s seas, by combating overfishing and the destruction of biodiversity with the creation of large scale marine reserves.