Mr Mackinnon declined to comment on his sudden departure nine months after he signed a two-year contract with the business lobby group. He took over in March after Robert Wallace was stood down.

In a statement issued late yesterday, TCCI chairman Andrew Heap said Mr Mackinnon had guided the organisation through a difficult reorganisation after several accounting discrepancies were discovered in May.

He said the board now wanted a new chief executive to work closely with the national chamber, and other state chapters, to solidify a new vision.

``Neil joined the TCCI at a difficult time to put our finances in order and helped to establish an administration more in keeping with the role our body needs to play to support employers and business throughout Tasmania,'' Mr Heap said.

``But, with this now in place, it is time to implement our new vision and take the TCCI into the future under new leadership.''

 The Examiner  understands that staff were informed yesterday. Mr Heap said ``a small number'' of other staff had been made redundant to save more money.

In the interim, chief economist Phil Bayley will be acting chief executive.

Board deputy chairman Bob Gozzi resigned last week, but he said the decision was unrelated.

``I felt it was time for me to move on as I've been involved with the TCCI for a long time,'' Mr Gozzi said.

That follows the departure of several other board members throughout the year.

The chamber has already sold its Hobart headquarters for $2.27 million, and it recorded a $160,000 loss last financial year after finding a $700,000 black hole.