Career
Helgesen served as a deputy representative to the Parliament of Norway during the terms 1993–1997, 1997–2001, 2001–2005, 2005–2009 and 2009–2013. In total she met during 68 days of parliamentary session. From 1995 to 2003 she was deputy county mayor of Telemark, and from 2003 she was county mayor.
She succeeded Halvdan Skard in December 2013 as chair of the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities.
She is also president of the North Sea Commission.