Note: Some people, mostly women, object to the use of ‘man’ in this context — a male gender word — for those positions which are held by women too; therefore, new words for nonsexist language are found which can apply to both sexes equally, as in the use of actor to refer to both men and women (though ‘actress’ is the word to be used for a woman actor).  This word ‘Chairman’ can seem inappropriate when applied to a woman, while chairwoman specifies gender, and so, the words chair and chairperson, which may refer to a man or a woman, are often preferred as alternatives.