Since English has no singular personal pronoun that refers to both sexes, the word he has traditionally been used when the sex of the antecedent is unknown.

Whoever is appointed [either a man or woman] will find his task difficult.

Because the use of a masculine pronoun to refer to an unspecified person is offensive to many readers or simply illogical, it is better to rewrite the sentence in the plural or avoid the use of a pronoun altogether.

The phrases he or she and his or her are an alternative solution, but they are clumsy when used too often.

Whoever is appointed will find his or her task difficult.

(See also agreement of pronouns and antecedents and nonsexist language.)

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