Cobeal Leadership

Dr. Sophy M. Laughing is a multilingual executive with over 30 years of experience in engineering, infrastructure, and corporate strategy. Under Dr. Laughing’s leadership, Cobeal established a significant presence in strategic markets across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America. The company now serves some of the world's largest operators in offshore energy and infrastructure, including partnerships with major players such as ExxonMobil, PEMEX, TotalEnergies, and Brunei Shell Petroleum. This expansion reflects Cobeal's commitment to delivering turnkey offshore solutions while maintaining its core values of innovation, safety, and sustainability.

Sophy's career is marked by a deep commitment to sustainability, operational excellence, and stakeholder engagement. Her extensive portfolio includes partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, international agencies, and government institutions. Dr. Laughing holds a Ph.D. in Applied and Professional Ethics and an MBA in Business Administration from the National Autonomous University in Mexico. She has contributed to global dialogues on renewable energy, cross-border investment, and engineering innovation through her publications and thought leadership. 

Building on the foundational work of the VISA, Dr. Laughing spearheaded the diversification of the group into 16 critical sectors and strategically expanded its operations to include offshore applications, catering to clients across 25 countries.

In 2001, Bo Erik Gustav Hollsten expanded his family's legacy by co-founding Hollsten Industries in Windsor, California. This move marked a significant milestone, bringing the advanced filtration expertise of VISA back to the United States. At Hollsten Industries, he designed, constructed, and managed a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility specializing in HEPA, ULPA, and carbon Class 100 filters, technologies critical for precision engineering and environmental control in sensitive applications.

Hollsten Industries played a crucial role in delivering cutting-edge filtration systems to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF), one of the most advanced fusion research centers in the world. These filters were vital in creating the ultra-clean environments required for nuclear fusion experiments, safeguarding both the equipment and the health of researchers. The systems ensured precise scientific conditions, extended equipment life, and maintained the integrity of experimental data.

The impact of this work was so significant that it was featured on the television program

"60 Minutes"…. highlighting the groundbreaking research at the NIF. 

The show featured how Hollsten's innovative systems enabled critical advancements in nuclear fusion research, including the use of lasers and highly sensitive optics that demand contamination-free environments. By 2004, VISA had laid the groundwork for what would later evolve into Cobeal.