Helga Nes received her cand. real. degree in organic chemistry at the University of Trondheim in 1981, and worked as a researcher at the Sintef Petroleum Research in Trondheim from 1982 to 1984.
She started as a geochemist in Norsk Hydro in 1984, and since 1995 she has held a number of managerial positions in the company.
