Having graduated from University of Miami, Coral Gables Florida, USA in 1980 as a Computer Engineer, Riyanto Sofyan obtained his MBA degree from European University, Belgium in 1990. He studied the hotel business and management through various seminars and courses from ECOLE HOTELIER de Lausanne, Switzerland and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
In late 1981, he left his career as Computer Engineer in leading computer companies in UK and USA to focus on his family business in hotels and property development and investment, which led him to successfully brought his company to go public in 1989 and developed a new concept through instilling the substance of Islamic values in the Hospitality Industry that can be accepted by the market.
Starting June 2012, he was assigned as Industrial Expert to contribute in Islamic Tourism Task Force Team from the Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia, in “Enhancing Sharia Tourism Program” to develop Indonesia as the most preferred destinations for moslem travelers, that will significantly contribute to the development of its tourism industry.