Former David Jones boss Paul Zahra is treating his new chairmanship of the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) a bit like any other retail turnaround assignment.

"When I consult to retailers these days it's all about reducing the physical footprint and investing heavily in the digital, and that's what we are doing here," said the 53-year-old who ran Australia's second-largest department store chain from 2010 to 2014.