Vickers & Benson has begun restructuring with the announcement that John Hayter has become chairman and chief executive officer of Vickers & Benson Companies Limited.

Jim Satterthwaite, who previously had responsibility for V&B Advertising only, has been appointed executive vice-president and chief operating officer of vbcl.

Hayter is expected to make further restructuring announcements about the 70-year-old agency later this month, including filling the now-empty president’s office.

Part of the restructuring involves the takeover from Terry O’Malley of majority ownership of the agency by a Hayter-led employee group.

O’Malley, copywriter and chairman of the firm, becomes partner and creative advisor.

This year’s winner of the Advertising & Design Club of Canada’s Les Usherwood Award for lifetime achievement, O’Malley is not only revered by the Canadian industry, but has received worldwide acclaim for his work. He has won more than 200 awards in domestic and international competition.

O’Malley has been with v&b for 32 years and has had an ownership position since 1975.

Before joining v&b, he also worked at MacLaren, Young & Rubicam, and Foster Advertising.

O’Malley remains a minority shareholder of vbcl and member of the executive committee but will be splitting his time between Toronto and St. Catharines, where he has a number of interests.

He has ownership in the St. Catharines Stompers professional baseball team and is active with the Niagara Enterprise Agency and Brock University. He is also dabbling in the brew pub and winery interests flourishing in the district.

O’Malley has been a force behind Liberal Party of Canada advertising for several years and, with the advent of an election in 1997, will likely devote a lot of time to that cause.