The chief financial officer of the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee is leaving to return to the mining industry after only 18 months on the job.

Rex McLennan's departure was announced Wednesday by VANOC CEO John Furlong, who said the decision was mutual.

Furlong said McLennan was hired to develop VANOC's business plan and risk management framework, which were completed earlier this year and released in May.

McLennan is being replaced by John McLaughlin, who helped create the original financial plan when Vancouver bid for the Games.

McLennan, who was not available for comment, was quoted in a VANOC news release as saying he had "complete confidence" in VANOC's continued success.

However, the provincial New Democrats say the change raises questions.

NDP Olympics critic Harry Bains said McLennan's resignation may indicate there are more cost overruns ahead for the Games.
   
"This is the person who was a key person who put the business plan together. All the assumptions that VANOC put in place to make the  business plan work need to come true.

"And if they don't, this could be another reason for another way of them deflecting that onto Mr. McLennan, who won't be there to defend himself."

Although this is the third senior level resignation from VANOC in the past two months, Furlong says McLennan's decision to return to the mining industry is not unusual as planning for the Olympics evolves.

In April, Herwig Demschar, vice-president of venue management, left VANOC to work for a U.S. ski resort company. That same month, Dan Moro, director of ice sports, went to work for the Calgary Olympic Association.

The 2010 Winter Olympics will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from Feb. 12 to 28.