Her Story
About Dea Kaipo
About Dea Lucas
Dea Lucas, MBA, is a seasoned global supply chain and logistics leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning freight, transportation management, procurement, and client solutions. As a Global Client Manager at A.P. Moller – Maersk, she partners with complex automotive and industrial customers to navigate uncertainty, mitigate risk, and deliver integrated logistics solutions that drive long-term value. Known for her customer-centric approach, Dea excels at identifying operational gaps, strengthening relationships, and translating complexity into strategic, actionable outcomes.
Her career has been shaped within some of the world’s most recognized logistics organizations, including J.B. Hunt, Pilot Freight Services, and DB Schenker, where she held leadership roles across sales, branch management, and global procurement. With experience spanning truckload, LTL, intermodal, ocean, air, drayage, and international freight, she brings a comprehensive, end-to-end perspective to modern supply chain challenges—especially in an environment defined by constant change, tariff volatility, and digital transformation.
What distinguishes Dea is not only her depth of industry expertise, but the mindset she brings to her work. Having operated in high-change environments throughout her career, she has developed a strong belief in adaptability—embracing new technologies like AI, staying agile in shifting landscapes, and maintaining a solutions-oriented focus that keeps customers moving forward.
At her core, Dea is guided by a deeply personal philosophy of imua—the Hawaiian principle of moving forward with purpose. This ethos reflects her belief that while challenges and past experiences shape us, growth comes from learning, adapting, and continuing to evolve. She applies this philosophy in her approach to leadership, relationships, and personal development.
A strong advocate of servant leadership, Dea is driven by the idea that true fulfillment comes from contributing to something greater than oneself. She believes that building trust, uplifting others, and creating meaningful impact are just as critical as delivering business results. Her perspective on feedback—viewing it as neutral information and an opportunity for growth—has been foundational in her continuous development and resilience.
Beyond her corporate role, Dea is deeply committed to mentorship and community. She supports organizations such as Kids’ Turn San Diego and Aztec Mentor Program (AMP) at San Diego State University, helping to guide and inspire the next generation of professionals. The founder and visionary behind SOMA HULA™, an integrative healing movement practice that combines somatic movement, breathwork, nervous system regulation, and hula-inspired motion to support healing.
Grounded in values of honesty, integrity, openness, and perseverance, Dea also prioritizes self-awareness and personal balance. She believes that sustained success requires not only external achievement, but also internal alignment—making space for reflection, growth, and purposeful living.
Ultimately, Dea brings together strategic expertise, adaptability, and a people-first philosophy—creating impact not just through what she delivers, but through how she leads. Dea's vision for SOMA HULA™ is to build a global healing-centered movement community that helps people reconnect with themselves through breath, embodiment, mindful movement, and the healing power of aloha.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Dea Kaipo
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a personal definition of success grounded in both strong support and continuous growth. My family has been a constant foundation, providing stability and perspective throughout my career.
Professionally, working across leading supply chain organizations taught me to be adaptable and an early adopter of change. This reflects the NLP principle of Requisite Variety—that the person with the greatest flexibility ultimately has the most influence.
I also view feedback as neutral—it’s simply information. By choosing to reframe it positively and extract key learnings, I turn almost every experience into an opportunity for growth.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve taken to heart is to build a life you’re genuinely excited to live every day. While I’ve learned a great deal from leaders, mentors, and forums like Maersk’s women’s network—where strong examples of resilience and growth are regularly shared—what resonates most is the idea that fulfillment comes from alignment with what energizes you.
For me, that means staying connected to my passions, being intentional about where I focus my energy, and recognizing that our lives and careers are not fixed—they’re adaptable. Across different seasons, we have the ability to pivot, evolve, and shape our path in a way that better serves both our personal and professional growth.
The advice was simple: create a life you love, stay open to change, and continuously refine your path as you grow.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to stay curious and remain highly inquisitive. The supply chain landscape is constantly evolving, and it’s critical to become comfortable with change—especially when it comes to leveraging AI and emerging technologies. Don’t let the complexity intimidate you; instead, embrace it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and find better ways to solve problems and serve customers.
I would also emphasize the importance of staying true to your core values. As new generations enter the workforce, there is a real opportunity to be intentional about alignment—choosing organizations and roles that reflect what matters most to you. That alignment ultimately leads to a more fulfilling and sustainable career.
I believe success comes from a combination of curiosity, adaptability, and authenticity—being open to change while staying grounded in who you are.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in supply chain, logistics, and transportation right now are largely shaped by the global environment—particularly ongoing tariff volatility, geopolitical tensions, and broader economic uncertainty. These factors are not isolated; they’re impacting every company, increasing costs, disrupting sourcing strategies, and adding significant complexity to planning and execution across the board.
At the same time, the industry is undergoing a major transformation. AI, automation, and digitalization are no longer optional—they’re becoming essential for improving visibility, predicting disruptions, and driving more resilient, data-driven decision-making.
Against this backdrop, I see a clear shift: the challenge is universal, but the differentiator is not. Since every organization is navigating similar external pressures, the real opportunity lies in how we show up for our customers during these moments.
For me, that means focusing on building strong relationships, rapport, and trust. Customers are looking for more than just service providers—they’re looking for partners who can help them navigate uncertainty, provide guidance, and co-create solutions. In a landscape defined by disruption, trust becomes the most valuable currency.
Ultimately, while technology and global dynamics will continue to shape the industry, the most impactful differentiator remains human—our ability to build credibility, stay close to customers, and guide them through complexity with confidence.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me, both personally and professionally, are honesty, integrity, openness, and perseverance. A principle I live by is the Hawaiian concept of imua—to keep moving forward. It’s about acknowledging the past, learning from it, and integrating those lessons into the present without becoming anchored to them.
I also strongly believe in servant leadership—leading with the intention of supporting and uplifting others. For me, fulfillment comes from knowing that the work I do contributes to something greater and positively impacts those around me.
Equally important is maintaining balance through self-awareness, introspection, and personal development. Taking time to invest in internal growth ensures that I stay grounded, aligned with my values, and able to show up fully in both my personal life and my professional responsibilities.
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