'Leadership isn’t about control': How Henry Innis is building more than a business at Mutinex
'I probably am addicted to the stress. That’s not uncommon, from what my peers say.'
Henry Innis doesn’t mince words.
Whether he’s delivering a keynote, hashing out product strategy, or accepting Mediaweek’s 2024 Next of the Best Award for leadership with a few colourful expletives, Innis speaks like a man in motion.
That’s because he is.
As co-founder and CEO of Mutinex, a marketing effectiveness platform rapidly carving out space in the Australian media and tech landscape, Innis isn’t just leading a company, he’s reshaping the way marketers think about growth, accountability, and culture.
Henry Innis
A leader forged in startup fire
His leadership journey has not been shaped in boardrooms but in the chaotic, high-stakes world of startups. That difference matters to him.
"In a large corporate culture, you're maintaining a system," he says. "In startups, moving the needle has real impact. You’re hungry, scrappy, customer-obsessed."
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It’s a hunger that was recognised last year when he took home the Next of the Best Leadership award. Innis admits he had a hunch he might win, and celebrated accordingly.
By the time he took the stage, he was three or four drinks in. The speech was, in his words, heavy on swearing and light on polish. "My mum wasn't thrilled," he laughs. "But swearing is emphasis. It’s part of the vernacular now."
You can listen to Natasha Lee interview Innis here:
Culture converts and unlikely teachers
The Henry Innis of today isn’t the same leader he was 18 months ago. He’ll tell you that flat out.
"Back then, I would’ve talked about engineering skill or product capability as our most important assets. Today? It’s culture."
He credits two people for that shift: Chloe Hooper and Matt Baxter. "Matt pushed me to actually codify our culture, to write it down, to back myself to build it," Innis says. "It made me realise that leadership isn’t about control. It’s about vision, clarity, and alignment."
It wasn’t an easy pivot. Like many founders, Innis is obsessive and hands-on. Delegation doesn’t come naturally. But he’s learning to let go, a little. "Clarity disappears when you're trying to do everything yourself," he says. "There are different ways to reach the same goal. That’s been a big learning."
Henry Innis
The stress addiction and support scaffolding
Growth at Mutinex hasn’t been linear. It’s been steep, fast, and at times, overwhelming. Innis has been open about the toll it can take. "It’s incredibly challenging," he says. "The faster you grow, the more unfamiliar situations you face. That constant unfamiliarity? It’s stressful."
He doesn’t sleep much. His fiancée worries. And while he knows he should switch off more, doing so often makes his anxiety worse. "I probably am addicted to the stress. That’s not uncommon, from what my peers say."
