Born and raised in Palembang, Sumadi studied architecture at Gadjah Mada University before working for state-owned property companies, eventually becoming CEO, and was transferred to Angkasa Pura.

His father was a civil servant and his mother worked as a kindergarten teacher, in addition to being a member of South Sumatra's provincial council between 1956 and 1959.

Sumadi completed his first 12 years of education in Palembang, before moving to Yogyakarta to study architecture at Gadjah Mada University, from which he graduated in 1981.

[3] After getting his bachelor's, Sumadi began to work as a planning architect for PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol Tbk, a company owned by the Jakarta city government, in 1982.

During his time in the companies, he worked on various projects involving housing and infrastructure in Jakarta, including developing the Bintaro Jaya area and constructing low-cost tenements.