---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0000924168-22-000009"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "EFOI"
cik: "0000924168"
company_name: "ENERGY FOCUS, INC/DE"
filed_at: "2022-01-11T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-27T19:09:06.231380+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "negative"
materiality_score: 0.65
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.65
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Energy Focus appoints Stephen Socolof as Interim CEO, replacing James Tu

## Summary
- Stephen Socolof, Lead Independent Director since Sept 2019, appointed Interim CEO effective Jan 11, 2022.
- James Tu departed as CEO on Jan 11, 2022; no successor named.
- Socolof is Managing Partner of Tech Council Ventures and co-founder of New Venture Partners.
- He previously served on board of Everspin Technologies and holds multiple other directorships.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0000924168-22-000009
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: EFOI
- cik: 0000924168
- company_name: ENERGY FOCUS, INC/DE
- filed_at: 2022-01-11T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: negative
- materiality_score: 0.65
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.65
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/924168/000092416822000009/0000924168-22-000009-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/924168/000092416822000009/efoi-20220111.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000924168-22-000009
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000924168-22-000009.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000924168-22-000009.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  James Tu departed as Chief Executive Officer at ENERGY FOCUS, INC/DE.
  - Action: replaced
  - Role: Chief Executive Officer
  source text: On January 11, 2022, Energy Focus, Inc. (the “Company”) announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) had appointed Stephen Socolof, the Company’s Lead Independent Director, to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer, replacing James Tu, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Company, on January 11, 2022.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/924168/000092416822000009/0000924168-22-000009-index.htm
- Executive change
  Stephen Socolof was appointed as Interim Chief Executive Officer at ENERGY FOCUS, INC/DE.
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Interim Chief Executive Officer
  source text: On January 11, 2022, Energy Focus, Inc. (the “Company”) announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) had appointed Stephen Socolof, the Company’s Lead Independent Director, to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer, replacing James Tu, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Company, on January 11, 2022.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/924168/000092416822000009/0000924168-22-000009-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.