The Executive MBA Council recently elected Kristin Polito, director of the Sawyer Business School’s Executive MBA Program, to its Board of Trustees.

The Council is a nonprofit association that brings business leaders together to promote executive education, encourage best practices, and develop new technologies for teaching and administration. The Council also establishes strategic partnerships and hosts an annual conference to expand its services.

As a board member, Polito will help set goals and develop strategies for the Council’s initiatives. She begins her three-year term in October. Polito was a past presenter at the Council’s 2007 conference in Toronto, Canada, on the topic, “What is the Return on Investment of the Executive MBA.” She also serves as co-chair of concurrent session programming for the Council’s 2011 annual conference, Oceans of Opportunity.

More than 200 colleges and universities, including Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School, are members of the Council. Founded in 1975, Suffolk’s program is the longest-running Executive MBA Program in New England. It is designed for mid-level executives and working professionals.

Classes are offered on Saturdays, enabling professionals to earn their degrees in as few as 21 months. With an emphasis on global leadership, Suffolk’s program features a cluster-based approach to learning that mirrors how businesses work across functional areas.

Polito is responsible for the recruitment, marketing, and operations of the Executive MBA Program. She has also helped create the Executive MBA Great Leaders Scholarship Program, which provides tuition assistance based on leadership experience, academic merit, and financial need.

With 28 years of experience in financial services and venture capital, Polito has led global Executive MBA seminars to India, China, Western Europe, and Brazil. She has also lectured at Renmin University’s China Policy Institute in the People’s Republic of China on risk management methodologies.

Polito, who is also the associate director for Suffolk’s Institute for Executive Education, has written articles on the importance of executive education for various publications, including Human Resources Management (HRM) Magazine.

Polito is also a lecturer at Suffolk University, where she teaches courses, such as Venture Capital in the US and Abroad and Business Foundations.