AT the Glasgow ‘hatchery’ – the hub for business start-ups created by Entrepreneurial Spark in 2011 – Lucy-Rose Walker is a force to be reckoned with.

The former business coach, who studied psychology in Glasgow, has been part of the organisation for six successful years – and now she is gearing up to take the helm.

Co-founder Jim Duffy is stepping down, having watched the fledgling company grow to become the world’s biggest free business accelerator.

“It will be a big change, of course – having worked so closely with Jim for the past six years it will be hard,” she nods.

“We have worked well together – yin and yang. He’s the visionary, I’m operational.

“We knew we had something special with Entrepreneurial Spark but we didn’t know how quickly it would have an impact. It was loved by some, disliked by others at the start but at its heart has always been the same aim – to support as many entrepreneurs as possible.”

Entrepreneurial Spark has now supported more than 1700 businesses, and its entrepreneurs – nurtured and supported through a network of ‘hatcheries’ - have generated £176 million turnover and created more than 3000 jobs.

As she prepares to take over as Chief Entrepreneuring Officer, Lucy-Rose is reflecting on the moment she decided to sign up.

“It was one of those pivotal moments in your life, you know?” she says. “One of those times you get asked a question which you know will lead you down one important path or another, depending on how you answer.

“I’d been sent a press release about Entrepreneurial Spark – I was training as a business coach at the time – because it looked like it was right up my street.

“I got in touch with Jim Duffy and he asked if I wanted to get involved as one of the companies that would be supported – or did I want to work with him? I chose the latter.”

Lucy-Rose says her parents are her biggest influences - her mother Linda is trained social worker who moved into education, becoming assistant dean of education and social work at Dundee University; her father Rob runs an antique furniture restoration business.

“I spent a lot of time in my dad’s shop when I was growing up – he was never as ambitious as my mother in terms of a career plan, but he always works hard and remains true to himself.

“They both influenced me in different ways.”

Lucy-Rose’s ‘passion for helping people’ has its roots in her teenage years, when she became a childminder.

“I loved it – I was still at school, just 16. I have two younger brothers and the youngest was born when I was 16 so we used to joke he really had four parents,” she says.

“But I was lucky, because my family was so supportive. I realised there were children not so fortunate, who grew up being told they would amount to nothing, and that wasn’t right.

“I am genuinely interested in people, and want to support them to become the best they can be.”

After leaving school, Walker studied psychology at Glasgow University and landed a summer job with an e-commerce company, giving her an insight into the world of business for the first time. She went on to work in the tourism sector, developing a ‘tartan affinity’ credit card for use by the Scottish diaspora in the US and inventing and marketing a board game called Scottish Quest.

“We are lucky in Scotland to come from such a special, enchanting place,” she says. “I’ve always had a strong desire to promote this country – not in a shortbread-tin, twee kind of way, but by promoting the amazing people who come out of it.

“We have a long tradition of invention and entrepreneurial spirit in Scotland, it’s in our blood.”

She breaks off with a laugh. “But yes, my friends do say – Lucy-Rose never has a normal job…I suppose I desire to be part of something different, to do something quirky and brave, to take that leap of faith and just give it a go.”

Her psychology background is key to her role at Entrepreneurial Spark, which is viewed as straight-talking, firm, but fair.

“I realised pretty early on that you can take away all of the physical barriers that stop entrepreneurs in their tracks – give them free offices and WiFi access, but the psychological ones still remain,” she explains.

“It’s what’s in their heads that you have to work on. That’s the biggest challenge. I think I probably am known for not taking any nonsense but my team is my number one priority. We’re all cogs in the same wheel, after all.

“I’d rather say no sometimes so we are clear about our focus – rather than say yes to everyone and everything and end up doing things badly.”

Lucy-Rose is excited about taking over from Duffy as Chief Entrepreneuring Officer – he has said he believes under her tenure Entrepreneurial Spark will achieve “stratospheric” heights.

Her aim is to continue to develop the business, embarking on a new model which will provide specialised, bespoke enablement for everyone – whether it’s a small start-up leaving the kitchen table or a well-established businesses wishing to grow into international markets.

The organisation’s 13th hatchery is about to open in London, and plans for 2017 include the launch of the first free, dedicated fintech (financial technology) accelerator in Scotland.

“It’s going to be a mindblowing year,” says Walker, with enthusiasm, although she accepts the uncertainty surrounding the UK’s departure from the European Union, and a possible independence referendum on the horizon, will impact on the entrepreneurial community.

“What’s happening in the world just now is unsettling, it is strange but we have to run with it,” she says. “There are challenges. I see them as opportunities.”