An activist investor embroiled in a boardroom dispute with The Works has questioned whether its chair spends enough time in the UK and at in-person meetings as a resident of New Zealand.

The retailer is rowing with investment firm Kelso over the appointment of an additional company director to the current board of five.

The Works is urging shareholders to vote against the appointment of Graeme Coulthard, a retired private equity investor who owns around 8% of the company having first invested in 2020.

Kelso, which separately has a 10% shareholding in The Works and is backing Mr Coulthard’s appointment, responded on Monday to hit back at the retailer’s criticisms.

In doing so, the investor raised questions about the number of meetings held in person by its board and attended by chair Steve Bellamy.

“Kelso believes shareholders would benefit from greater clarity regarding Steve Bellamy’s physical attendance and in-person engagement with the business,” the company said.

“Kelso asks how much time he spends in the UK with the business and how many of the company’s seven plc board meetings during the last year the chair attended in person.

“Kelso notes the most recent filing at Companies House that Mr Bellamy is a New Zealand resident.”

The Works said last week that it believed the appointment of Mr Coulthard to the board would not be in the best interests of the business, and that it had asked Kelso to withdraw the request, which was rejected.

“The proposed appointment would, in the board’s view, create unnecessary distraction, risk derailing delivery of the group’s focused growth strategy, create an imbalance in governance and potentially result in particular shareholder interests being prioritised over those of the broader shareholder base,” it warned.

Kelso, which is backing the appointment, said the “board’s resistance to Kelso’s proposal and its lack of effort to engage with Mr Coulthard is difficult to understand”.

It added that it was “particularly disappointing that the independent directors recommended voting against his appointment without first meeting or speaking to him”.

Shareholders will have the opportunity to vote on the proposal at The Works’ annual general meeting (AGM) on September 7.