This IWD, four successful women get honest about work, life and what really matters
From left: Angeline Yap, Chuah Woei Woei, Serene Tan and Andrea De Cruz gather for a time of tea and Swiss precision cooking with V-ZUG
- Four accomplished women gathered at the V-ZUG studio kitchen in Singapore for IWD 2026, bonding over a chef-led session featuring the 90cm CombiSteamer and slow-cooked salmon, highlighting how precise appliances streamline hosting and home life.
- The event, hosted by V-ZUG for International Women's Day, united leaders from banking, tech, and entrepreneurship, who found common ground in resilience and empathy while preparing palmiers and salmon using advanced Swiss appliances.
- Compared to typical home gatherings, the workshop’s use of VacuDrawer V6000 14 and Vacuisine function cut marinating time from hours to under a minute, underscoring the efficiency gains that matter for busy professionals.
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The first thing the women did was help each other tie their aprons.
Within minutes of arriving at the V-ZUG studio kitchen, phones were out — not for emails, but for photos and videos of each other preparing for the afternoon’s cooking session.
If no one had said otherwise, you might have assumed they had known each other for years.
In reality, most of them had only just met.
The gathering — organised by Swiss household appliance brand V-ZUG to mark International Women’s Day 2026 (IWD) and its theme, “Give to gain” — brought together four women from different worlds: Angeline Yap, regional managing director of V-ZUG Southeast Asia; Serene Tan, who works on governance and regulatory matters within the tech sector; Chuah Woei Woei, managing director at a bank; and Andrea De Cruz, podcaster and entrepreneur.
The plan for the afternoon was simple: cook and have high tea together. But the event quickly took on a life of its own.
But first, dessert
The workshop began, unexpectedly, with dessert. After the chef demonstrated the steps, trays of palmier dough were prepared and slid into the V-ZUG CombiSteamer Grand 90cm, set to Hot air + steaming function at 200°C for 18 minutes.
De Cruz was the first to step forward, confidently lining the pastry and sprinkling brown sugar across the surface before folding it into the familiar palmier shape. Around her, the others hovered nearby filming clips and exchanging small commentary.
It did not take long before the kitchen settled into the kind of easy rhythm usually reserved for friends who have known each other for far longer.
While the palmiers baked, attention turned to the savoury course: slow-cooked salmon with marinated tomatoes.
Slow-cooked salmon, the precise way
The salmon began with a quick cure of sugar, salt and citrus zest, a step that seasons the fish while gently firming its texture. After about 45 minutes, the fillets were rinsed and sealed using the VacuDrawer V6000 14, which removes air from the pouch before cooking.
The salmon was then placed in the CombiSteamer V6000 and cooked using the Vacuisine function, holding the temperature at 46°C for 15 minutes. The low, steady heat allows the fish to cook slowly and evenly, keeping it tender without drying it out while preserving its nutrients and delicate texture.
V-ZUG’s Vacuisine function brings the traditional sous-vide method into the combi-steamer, allowing ingredients to cook slowly at a precisely controlled low temperature without the need for a separate water bath.
The marinated tomatoes were also prepared in the VacuDrawer, allowing the yuzu dressing to infuse into the fruit in under one minute rather than the usual hours.
Together, the techniques offered a glimpse into how precise temperature control and vacuum preparation can shape both flavour and texture in subtle ways.
Four women, four perspectives
Cooking, as it turns out, involves a fair amount of waiting. But in a kitchen like this, the pauses rarely stay quiet for long.
Between steps, conversation began to flow — about work, about the industries each woman navigates, and eventually about family. Phones appeared again, this time not to capture the cooking, but to share photos of children and loved ones.
What began as a cooking session gradually unfolded into something closer to a roundtable conversation. The theme of the afternoon, IWD’s “Give to gain”, surfaced naturally in those exchanges.
Though they came from very different professional worlds, the reflections shared around V-ZUG’s showroom kitchen revealed surprising common ground.
Angeline Yap
Regional managing director of V-ZUG Southeast Asia
For Yap, the theme of “Give to gain” reflects something she has long practised in leadership.
Throughout her career, she has emphasised honesty and empathy as the foundation for building trust within teams.
“Being transparent and genuinely listening allows people to feel supported,” she says. “This openness has empowered those around me to be more vulnerable and to ask for help, which has led to collective growth.’”
Despite the demands of leading a global luxury brand, Yap says balance often comes from the simplest moments at home.
Cooking, spending time with her daughter Charlize, or simply being present with family are the rituals that help her reset.
“Just as I rely on people and systems I trust in my work, I seek that same reliability at home,” she says. “V-ZUG’s appliances make daily tasks feel seamless, freeing me up to focus on what really matters.”
“The precision of V-ZUG appliances has truly changed the way I approach cooking. They take the guesswork out of the process, allowing me to focus on enjoying the experience.”
Andrea De Cruz
Podcaster and entrepreneur
After nearly two decades of running her own business, De Cruz says empathy has become one of the most important traits in leadership.
“Over the years of being a business owner I have learnt to lead with compassion and empathy,” she says. “I have had staff members who experienced personal hardship, and I believe that it was because of my understanding of their predicaments that they have stayed in my company from inception in 2006 until today.”
Her advice to young women considering entrepreneurship is practical and direct.
“Be honest with yourself,” she says. “Ask what your motivation is, why you are doing it and what you are leveraging. Not everyone is cut out to be a business owner — you need to be in it for the long run.”
At home, cooking and entertaining are among the rituals she enjoys most. Having used V-ZUG appliances for almost eight years, she values the consistency they bring to the kitchen.
“I have been a fervent user of V-ZUG for almost eight years to date. Every bake, broil, steam or grill has never let me down,” she says. “It’s a smart, streamlined and multi-functional oven that allows cooking time to be reduced significantly, where you won’t have to stand around to watch the stove.”
Experiencing the appliances again during the workshop reminded her how much that precision can shape the way she hosts.
“Yes, it inspired me to want to entertain even more,” she says. “The vacuum drawer is incredibly versatile, as it enhances all kinds of cooking by allowing faster marinating, sous vide cooking, and efficient food storage.”
She also points to the larger steam oven as a practical advantage when hosting.
“I love the 90cm CombiSteamer Grand. It is a fantastic asset for hosting larger gatherings, especially during festivities. Its generous capacity allows me to cook multiple large dishes at once without sacrificing quality or taste.”
Chuah Woei Woei
Managing director, banking
In banking, where expectations are high and decisions carry weight, Chuah believes effective leadership begins with the right mindset.
“A balance between humility and self-assuredness,” she says. “I believe humility is a trait that can help any of us grow. Being self-assured is also important because it inspires self-belief in yourself and others around you.”
Outside of work, she enjoys hosting friends and family at home — something that becomes easier with the right tools in the kitchen.
“My V-ZUG appliances make my life so convenient, especially when I'm entertaining. Its Swiss precision smart features also elevate my average cooking abilities.”
For her, that convenience translates into something increasingly rare: time.
“With that time saved, I would use that extra 30 minutes to rest and purge myself of the accumulated stress,” she confesses. “This is important because it resets and liberates me.”
The brand’s attention to detail also resonates with her own daily routines.
“V-ZUG is known for its attention to detail, so I also do that in my daily life — tidying up my shoe closet,” Chuah laughs. “Placing my possessions in their proper places is important not just for the order of things. It's really for the love of and care for things, which I think is a good habit to have.”
Serene Tan
Governance and regulatory, tech sector
For Tan, resilience is one of the most valuable traits anyone can bring into a professional environment.
“Staying calm and solutions-focused during challenges helps the people around me feel more confident and capable,” she says. “Often, the best solutions come when people feel safe to share different perspectives.”
After demanding days at work, calm often comes from simple hobbies at home such as baking and reading.
“It allows me to slow down and maintain self care. Baking and reading are my quiet moments. Home is my comfort zone,” she says.
That sense of calm, she adds, is easier to maintain when things at home run smoothly.
“Owning intuitive technology like V-ZUG simplifies everyday routines with its thoughtful design. Instead of worrying about complicated settings or whether the results will be consistent, I can achieve great cooking outcomes in just a few simple steps and focus on enjoying the moment while V-ZUG takes care of the rest.”
Beyond the kitchen
Soon after, the dishes prepared during the workshop began making their way onto the table. The slow-cooked salmon was plated, the palmiers had cooled and the kitchen carried the comforting scent of citrus and warm pastry.
The group eventually gathered for high tea, where bouquets of flowers and customised bottles of wine awaited them as parting gifts.
What began as a cooking session had quietly become something more — an afternoon of conversation between women who had only just met, yet found common ground in resilience, empathy and the small rituals that make time at home meaningful.
In many ways, it reflected the spirit of IWD’s theme: “Give to gain”.
Sometimes, giving a little of your perspective, encouragement or time is exactly how something valuable returns
To experience V-ZUG’s appliances first-hand, visit V-ZUG’s showroom at 2 Orchard Turn, #02-07B ION Orchard, Singapore 238801. Personal Product Experience sessions, including a chef-led tasting, can be arranged via WhatsApp at +65 6926 0878.
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