he was born into the noble family of the correggio, probably between 1020 and 1030. he had family connections to the margraves of canossa. a cleric, he was appointed to the imperial chancellorship for italy by the empress agnes in 1058, which position he held until 1063. in 1058 he participated in the election of pope nicholas ii but on his death in 1061, he sided with the imperial party to elect cadalous of parma as antipope honorius ii against pope alexander ii. owing to the active support of duke godfrey of lorraine, of archbishop anno of cologne, and especially of peter damian, alexander was soon recognized even in germany and by the empress agnes which may have been the reason of guibert's dismissal in 1063 from the chancellorship.