Kurzweil Educational Systems Appoints Chief Financial Officer

Bradley Desmarais brings financial expertise and extensive software industry experience to thriving educational technology company

Kurzweil Educational Systems^®, Inc., innovator of reading technology for individuals with visual or learning disabilities, announced today the appointment of Bradley K. Desmarais, CPA, as Chief Financial Officer. He will be responsible for overseeing the cash management and financial strategies at Kurzweil Educational Systems and will continue to drive company profitability in the U.S. and abroad. Desmarais’ background includes diverse technology industry experience in accounting and finance, strategic planning, operations, venture capital financing, forecasting and tax auditing.

Desmarais brings to the company 13 years of financial experience in senior management roles. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Finance at Sound Vision Inc., a digital imaging software and semiconductor company, managing all aspects of accounting, finance and operations. Desmarais was responsible for driving a 200% increase in revenues in one year and raising an additional $5.2 million of equity financing. Desmarais has also held a senior finance position at Dragon Systems, Inc., a multinational voice-recognition software company, where he accelerated growth and implemented change leading to successful negotiations and the purchase of the company by a larger European competitor. Prior to that, he served as corporate controller at high-growth, multinational firm, Renaissance Worldwide, and steered its growth from a $70 million company to $750 company within three years. Desmarais has also worked in a senior accounting capacity at Deloitte & Touche.

"Kurzweil Educational has enjoyed significant growth over the past two years and we are looking to Brad to make sure we maintain our momentum,” said Michael Sokol, President of Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc. “Brad will be joining the committed leadership team here at Kurzweil Educational, and providing critical financial insight and direction as we look to enter new markets, expand our offerings, and continue to build our business.”

Desmarais earned a Master of Science in Accounting from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Holy Cross College.

About Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc.

Kurzweil Educational Systems, founded in 1996, is the industry leader and innovator of scanning, reading and writing solutions for people with learning disabilities, and people who are blind or visually impaired. Ray Kurzweil, a co-founder of the original company, invented computer-based reading machine technology 25 years ago to provide access to printed text for the blind. With a pioneering history in developing assistive technology, the company has received worldwide recognition for enabling people with disabilities to lead more independent lives through improved reading and writing abilities. Kurzweil 3000, the company's flagship product for individuals with reading and writing disabilities, recently won the "District's Choice Top 100 Product" 2003 Award published by the District Administration magazine and "Media and Methods Awards Portfolio" 2003 Award from Media and Methods magazine. For more company or product information, visit https://www.kurzweiledu.com.