Rosa Quintana Carballo holds a Degree and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). She began her career in 1987 for the Galician Regional Ministry for Fisheries and Aquaculture, where she held several positions as Head of Division and Director, namely for innovation and fishing development. As an EU fisheries expert, she participated in seminars about food legislation for fisheries and aquaculture products.

In 2009, she was appointed as Regional Minister for Maritime Affairs. From 2012 to 2015 she served as Regional Minister for Maritime Affairs and Rural Development, returning to be appointed Regional Minister for Maritime Affairs again from October 2015 to the present.